Saffron party ‘attempting to topple’ NPP-led coalition in GHADC
SHILLONG: The NPP-led Executive Committee of the GHADC is on a shaky ground with the coalition partner BJP aspiring for a larger share in the Executive Committee.
With some MDCs of GHADC joining the BJP, its strength has risen to five in the 29-member House. Sources said on Saturday that there is a rift between the BJP and the NPP over the demand of the saffron party to induct more members in EC.
According to sources, the Tura district BJP president and former ANVC (B) Chairman, Bernard Marak had written a letter to GHADC CEM Denang Sangma to reshuffle the EC within December 13 or else the BJP will withdraw its support from the NPP-led Council.
Sources added that the decision was taken in the office chamber of Bhupendra Hajong, the lone BJP Executive Member in the GHADC headed by Denang Sangma.
The meeting was also attended by other BJP MDCs and some selected members of the party including Bernard Marak.
Sources added that the matter was verbally conveyed to BJP’s state president Shibun Lyngdoh and he had given consent to the decision.
Besides Hajong, two independents, Kurosh Marak and Sofiur Rahman, NCP member Rightious Sangma and Congress member Ismail Marak had joined the BJP recently raising the party tally to five.
According to sources, the BJP is also trying to get more MDCs from the Congress to topple the NPP-led EC in GHADC.
Interestingly, NPP is part of the BJP-led NDA at the Centre and is also in the newly constituted North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) spearheaded by BJP. Political observers say that if the BJP is successful in toppling the NPP-led Council, then a pre-poll alliance between the two may not materialise in the 2018 Assembly polls. If there is no pre-poll alliance by likeminded parties the situation will prove advantageous to the Congress, sources said.