BJP’s poll dilemma continues
SHILLONG: NCP is planning to put up a candidate in Tura, while a decision has been taken not to field any candidate for Shillong, a party source said on Sunday.
Two NCP legislators including the Deputy Speaker Sanbor Shullai are supporting the Congress-led MUA-II Government in the State.
However, NCP is in touch with some leaders in Garo Hills to field a suitable candidate to take on NPP leader P A Sangma.
Meanwhile, the Meghalaya State BJP is in a dilemma since the central leadership of the party is yet to announce the name of the candidate to contest the Shillong seat.
A party source said on Sunday that the state BJP leadership had forwarded two names, Shibun Lyngdoh and Dinsuh Siangshai, both from Jaintia Hill,s to contest Shillong Lok Sabha seat.
Since NPP leader PA Sangma has decided to extend support to the BJP led NDA at the Centre, the BJP would not put up any candidate for Tura. Sangma himself is the NPP candidate at Tura.
“Since there is a Modi wave in Meghalaya too, we have to cash in on the trend and we hope that the BJP leadership will release the list for Shillong,” a party leader said.
The fear of the State BJP leadership is that the Shillong voters of BJP which is a national party may prefer to vote for the candidate of another national party, the Congress, in the absence of a BJP candidate for Shillong. There are also reports that some political parties in the State are putting pressure on the central BJP leadership not to field any party candidate so that the anti-Congress vote does not get further divided, to ensure that the Congress candidate Vincent Pala is defeated. With UDP and HSPDP-KHNAM planning to set up candidates, Shillong is set to witness a triangular contest.
The last time a BJP candidate contested the Shillong seat was in 2004. Former legislator Sanbor Swell Lyngdoh had unsuccessfully contested the seat. Congress candidate P.R. Kyndiah won the election.
Though BJP had contested the 2013 Assembly polls, the party could not win a single seat.
Planning to concentrate on Lok Sabha polls, the party did not put up any candidate during the just concluded district council elections.