NCP not losing Shullai, may get Saleng boost

SHILLONG: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday denied reports of its Meghalaya unit president Sanbor Shullai joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Speaking to media persons here on Friday, NCP National Secretary and spokesperson Narendra Verma said such rumours arise before elections. “Sanbor Shullai is the president and he will remain so,” he said at the party’s state-level conference.
NCP vice president Vijay Raj seconded Verma.
Interestingly, Shullai was not present at the press conference. The NCP senior leaders, however, downplayed Shullai’s absence saying he met Verma at Hotel Pinewood and he could not come for the press conference since he was not well.
Independent MLA Saleng Sangma was also present during the press conference and when asked, he said he may join NCP in near future.
Saleng also denied any move to reorganize the State party leadership.
He said the state so far has not tasted NCP and he has little hopes from the party that it would do good for the state.
When asked why the Congress forced Shullai to step down from the post of deputy speaker, Raj said it was decided that Shullai would hold the post for a certain period of time after which he resigned from the post. “No one forced him to resign,” he added.