Mukul dismisses speculation on joining BJP
SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Wednesday asserted that he would relinquish the post if the party is able to find anyone who would do better justice to the post of chief minister.
It is not because of power or chair that I am here. If the party finds someone who can do better justice I will quit… I am not here for self centric goals but for the people and the State,” the chief minister said during an interaction with media persons here on Wednesday.
The chief minister also made it clear that he would not join the BJP as was being speculated in the State, saying that he will remain in the Congress as his parents belonged to the first generation of Congress members in the State.
Reacting to complaints from his colleagues on his style of functioning, the chief minister said that earlier he used to have plenty of time but the ball game changed after he became chief minister.
“My responsibility is now to work and if they feel this style of functioning is bad I can’t help it,” he said, adding that there is a huge responsibility on him as he has to attend to several contentious issues in the state besides tackling the history of instability.
Asked if there will be any threat to the Congress government in Meghalaya if BJP comes to power in Assam, he said threat will always be there if the party does not live up to the expectation and fails to fulfill the commitment and promises made by the party before the election.
On the recent statement of BJP leader Nalin Kohli that Congress will collapse on its own in Meghalaya, Sangma said Meghalaya is a state which has seen several ups and downs of political instability.
Politicians in Meghalaya are more seasoned than those in other states and know how to deal with the issue of instability, he added.
Frankenstein on agenda to destroy Congress
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma accused former minister Frankenstein W Momin of attempting to destroy the Congress party.
When pointed out that Frankenstein had a 40 year long association with Congress, the chief minister questioned how a person who has had an association of 40 years with the party can aggressively campaign against the party’s official candidate.
“Party will take a decision in this regard,” he added.
It may be noted that the former legislator from Mendipathar, who resigned from the party on Tuesday, had been at loggerheads with the chief minister whom he had accused of being ‘dictatorial’ and failing to take the party along in the decision making process.