SHILLONG: BJP Meghalaya in-charge and national spokesperson Nalin Kohli has predicted the formation of a non-Congress government in Meghalaya next year.
Assessing the situation in the state, Kohli said a non-Congress government was a certainty as of today.
“Now, the only question is who is going to be inducted in the non-Congress government and how many seats those parties will have,” he told reporters here on Tuesday.
Kohli said the state government in Meghalaya has to live up to the reputation of the Congress party’s strategy, which is “no development, only politics.”
“But people want development not politics,” he said.
Asked about pre-poll alliance, the BJP spokesperson said an alliance could be pre-poll or post-poll but till an alliance is there, every party would work for strengthening its own base.
“What will happen in the future I can’t say but that will not stop the BJP from identifying who we think are good (political parties). In Assam, the alliance took place very close to the election, so let’s see,” he said.
Kohli further said that winnability would be the benchmark for allotment of party tickets to candidates for the upcoming elections.
Stating that party had a presence in 18 states today, he said UP was one of the most historical elections not just for the BJP but for the country. The BJP on its own in UP had won 312 seats out of 434.
“Winnability is the critical factor. Elections are fought to win not to lose and in elections everyone’s contribution is important – the organisation, the candidate and the voters,” he said.
“To us, it (Meghalaya elections) is important. We have had our presence in the past, we have been in government in the past and I see no doubt that we will be in the government in this election,” he added.
Meanwhile, taking a jibe at the recent Cabinet reshuffle by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, Kohli said it was an indication that things were “shaky” within the ruling Congress party.
“If a Cabinet reshuffle is required to be done with only six months to the election, it speaks volumes about how shaky things must be within the Congress party,” Kohli told reporters at the sidelines of a meeting chaired by BJP national general secretary (organisation) Ram Lal.
Two Congress legislators – Prestone Tynsong and Sniawbhalang Dhar – were recently dropped as Cabinet ministers, an exercise seen as an attempt to prevent the MLAs from joining other parties ahead of the Assembly elections.
