SHILLONG: State BJP president Shibun Lyngdoh has asserted that only party members could seek applications from the party to contest the 2018 Assembly polls.
Speaking to reporters at a gathering to protest alleged corruption activities of the state government on Wednesday, he said, “The BJP will put up applications for people to apply and anyone who wants to apply should be a member of BJP. Until and unless they are members of the BJP, how can we give them applications? “
However, he reiterated that the door of the political party was open to all legislators who wanted to join the party.
Asked whether Congress MLA AL Hek was invited to the inauguration of the party office by BJP national president Amit Shah here, Lyngdoh said it was up to the reception committee of the state BJP to finalise the list of invitees.
“We don’t have any intention to call any sitting legislator but there are sitting legislators who have sent feelers to the party,” he added.
Hek had said he would take his supporters into confidence before joining BJP. The veteran politician refers to the BJP as his mother organisation and maintains that it is the BJP that brought him into politics.
Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee president DD Lapang has however warned Congress MLAs of action if they met Shah during his visit to the city.
The warning by Lapang came in the wake of Hek’s revelation that he would attend the inauguration of the BJP office if invited.