New Delhi/IBNS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s good performance in the recently-concluded assembly elections in three northeast states shows people's solid trust in democracy and the democratic process.

Speaking to the jubilant BJP supporters at the party's headquarters in Delhi, amid 'Modi, Modi' chants, the PM said: "The results of these elections show people's strong faith in democracy and democratic institutions in the country."

"The way the northeast poll results have been extensively highlighted shows the region is neither distant from Dilli nor dil (heart)," PM Modi said.

He said BJP has filled the northeast with confidence, marching in a new direction.

"Today's results of elections are the reflection of new thinking. Today's results have exposed Congress's thinking about the northeast. Congress claimed that these are small states and insignificant. It's an insult to the mandate and the people of the northeast states," PM Modi said attacking the Congress.

"After seven decades of independence, many villages of the northeast didn't have electricity. Previous govts knew that it was a difficult task to electrify those villages, and therefore they turned a blind eye towards them," he further said.

He credited the hard work done by BJP workers in the three northeast states for the good show.

"Our party workers in the northeast work much, much harder than all of us here. They face many challenges," PM Modi said, drawing huge applause.

"The karyakartas of the BJP are known for their discipline. They kept our flag flying high during difficult times. Nothing is impossible for a party which has karyakartas like us," he added.

He also asked the audience to turn on their mobile phone flashlight and wave them as a symbolic signal of thanks to the people of the northeast.

Before PM Modi's address, BJP chief JP Nadda blamed the opposition Congress for neglecting the northeast for decades. He said the opposition party turned the region into "an ATM to withdraw money".

The BJP is set to return to power in all three northeastern states with the win in Tripura and Nagaland while forming government in Meghalaya by renewing its alliance with Conrad Sangma.

As Meghalaya was heading towards a hung assembly with no clear majority, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, whose National People's Party (NPP) was in the lead, called BJP's chief strategist Amit Shah.

Ahead of the polls, the two parties had decided to go it alone for the election fight after a rift over corruption allegations against Sangma's NPP.

In Tripura, the BJP and its ally IPFT (Indigenous Progressive Front of Tripura) are leading in 33 of the 60-seat assembly.

The BJP did not put up as good a performance as in 2018 when the saffron party alone won 36 seats. The IPFT had won 8.

In Nagaland, the BJP and its partner NDPP (Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party) are leading in 37 seats, which is seven more than the last time.