TURA: Former bureaucrat Bakul Hajong, who joined BJP in Garo Hills on Tuesday, said he was confident of winning from Ampati against Chief Minister Mukul Sangma if the BJP machinery backs him and allots the party ticket.
Hajong took voluntary retirement from the post of director of Sericulture and Weaving this year to join BJP. He is expected to be the main contender in the fight against the chief minister in the South West Garo Hills constituency.
State BJP president Shibun Lyngdoh welcomed Hajong and a host of leaders from Garo Hills into the party during a public meeting at Tinkonapara village in Betasing on Wednesday afternoon. “We welcome honest, hardworking and intellectual people and Bakul Hajong has worked dedicatedly for the people of the State in his capacity as a government official all these years,” said Lyngdoh after felicitating him at the BJP’s Karya Karta Sammelan.
Hajong was the director of Sericulture and Weaving Department in the state for three years before his tenure was abruptly cut short and he was transferred as Officer on Special Duty.
That decision by the State Government was apparently the last nail for Hajong who decided it was time to hang his boots and take the battle to the political warfront.
“I had served the government in my capacity as director for three long years. But, I was removed and posted as OSD probably because I wanted to join politics and serve my people after retirement. That political decision compelled me to take voluntary retirement,” said Hajong.
“The developmental works of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is well known even among the people in the grassroots level. I understand the sentiments of the people who want a Modi-led developmental agenda in place of the family-centric policies of Mukul Sangma,” he added.
Having worked for close to four decades in the State Government, the former director has said that there is an urgent need to increase the budgetary allocation for cottage industries.
“The annual budgetary allocation for sericulture and handicrafts is less than 1 per cent of the state budget. How can any department progress with such a meagre allotment. Only with an increase in the budget for cottage industries such as sericulture, handicrafts and co-operation can job opportunities be realistic. We need to transform the situation from minor to major industries,” said Hajong.
Lyngdoh said BJP with over 11.5 crore membership is the largest political party in the world and Hajong’s entry has further raised its tally.
New BJP members speak
The newly reconstituted party leaders and district presidents who took part in the rally went all out attacking the ruling Congress and Chief Minister Mukul Sangma accusing them of failing on the development front.
While Hajong spoke of the inspiration he got from Modi’s focus on development, others accused the oldest political party in the country of encouraging divisive tactics.
The controversy surrounding the notification regulating cattle sale in markets that was issued by the Ministry of Forests and Environment, which has snowballed into a major political issue, echoed in the meeting with every speaker accusing the Congress of spreading rumours.
New minority Morcha president and sitting MDC Sofiur Rahman questioned the rationale behind the reports pointing out that such a move cannot be taken by any central government since it happens to be a state subject.
“People of Assam have given a BJP government which is close to completing one year in office but there is no beef ban. I was in Guwahati recently and beef was on sale. Anyone can go and see for themselves the reality,” said Rahman.
The first BJP MDC in the GHADC, Bhupendra Hajong, attacked the Congress accusing it of playing divisive politics by pitting Christians, Hindus and Muslims against each other on the issue of beef.
