New Delhi, Feb 26: Lambasting the Congress for its ''anti-people policies,'' former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma today claimed the voters of the north east would reject the party in coming Lok Sabha polls and vote for the North East People's Forum (NEPF) to ensure development for the region. ''The mood in the north east is against the congress and the people want the NEPF partners to contest the parliamentary polls unitedly to defeat the designs of the Congress,'' Mr Sangma told reporters here. Ridiculing the appointment of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi as Congress campaign incharge in the north east, Mr Sangma said, ''given Mr Jogi's track record he will be reduced to a laughing stock in the region. People of north east cannot be be-fooled by such moves.'' NEPF is a conglomeration of 17 non-congress and non-Left political parties from the north east including the BJP, the breakaway faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Nagaland People's Front and Mizo National Front and is part of the NDA.
''The NEPF partners are holding discussions to firm up the alliances in the eight states of the region and seat arrangements will be finalised soon,'' the former Union minister said, adding, the NEPF partners have agreed against taking any unilateral decision and were trying to evolve a consensus on the 25 Lok Sabha seats from the region.

Bureau Report