Influential regional party leaders of the Northeast have agreed to form a strong regional party forum. Mizoram's largest and oldest regional party the Mizo National Front said, in a statement, here today its president Zoramthanga had a meeting with Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphu Rio and former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma in New Delhi on February 2 where they mooted the idea of forming  a strong forum for the Regional parties in Northeastern part of the country. 

The meeting agreed to hold a preliminary meeting at New Delhi on February 20 where all regional parties and members of parliament from the Northeast will be invited, the statement said.

The regional party leaders tentatively planned to launch the new forum before the forth coming Assam state assembly elections during March, the source stated. There are little more than ten regional parties in the entire Northeast region, which play major role in their respective states. "If all these regional parties can come under one umbrella, it could have influence in the national politics", opined an MNF insider.