Agartala, Dec 18 (IANS): Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said here on Tuesday that the northeast became 'Congress mukt (free)' following the Mizoram Assembly polls and the region would become a stronghold for the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

"As the Congress kept the northeastern states in the dark for more than 60 years, the people of the region removed the party from all the eight states making the region 'Congress Mukt'," he told the media.

Sonowal said that of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the eight states, the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies would secure almost all.

"The NDA government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given top priority for the all round development of the region. Surface communication, other connectivities and all round growth has eliminated its backwardness," the Chief Minister said.

Sonowal arrived here on Tuesday to address the media on the Rafale fighter jet deal.

"Under the directions of the Prime Minister, all the Union Ministries have taken exemplary initiatives for the all round development of the eight northeastern states. The frustrated Congress party after its repeated defeats in the northeast, unleashed a misinformation campaign against the BJP. Like other parts of India, the Modi government already transformed the region.

"Due to the betrayal of the Congress, the party is now nowhere to be seen in the eight states," Sonowal said.

Demanding an apology from Congress President Rahul Gandhi, the BJP leader said that the party should disclose its source of "misinformation and misleading facts" about the Rafale fighter jet deal.

Tripura BJP leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma accompanied Sonowal during the press briefing.