Shillong: The National People's Party (NPP) has hinted at contesting the 2019 general elections from all northeastern states.

Meghalaya chief minister and NPP president Conrad K. Sangma said at a felicitation function of newly elected party MLAs and ministers here on Wednesday that the mood was to fight all Lok Sabha seats in the region and ensure it emerged as the sole alternative for the people of the Northeast.

Conrad said the leaders of NPP units in Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have all said the party should contest from all seats in their respective states. "We want to send a message and give confidence to the people that there is a political party that really focuses on issues and needs of the region," he said.

Admitting that the Assembly elections in Mizoram was the next challenge, Conrad hoped the NPP would win some seats there and at least have a deputy chief minister.

The NPP has 20 legislators in Meghalaya, four in Manipur and two in Nagaland.

Conrad paid tribute to his father late P.A. Sangma and said the vision and ideas laid down by him "had brought all of us together and the party was working hard to achieve the goals and fulfil his dreams". "The NPP's ideology and goal is to be a party that will represent the indigenous people of the Northeast and the country, and work for minorities," he said.

After the function, NPP leaders held another meeting and discussed about issues concerning the region.

Deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong said all regional political parties are now "little worried" about their future with the growth of the NPP.

The NPP is now eyeing to defeat the Congress in the Ampati bypoll on May 28.

State NPP president Wanwei Roy Kharlukhi said, "We have got the crown and the Ampati seat is the jewel in the crown."

Manipur deputy chief minister Yumnam Joykumar Singh and other MLAs from Nagaland were also felicitated on the occasion.