SHILLONG: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which was resolute in keeping non-performers at bay, on Friday defended its decision to welcome leaders from other parties saying the party needed both young and experienced people.
Speaking to media persons in the city, Union Tourism Minister and BJP leader KJ Alphons said parties cannot get all new faces and need people with experience too.
“We cannot have college students running the party and we need to have a mix of young and old,” he told reporters on Friday.
When asked whether the party was finding it difficult to rope in popular faces in the state, the BJP leader denied and claimed that it would turn tables overnight.
The BJP leader was here to review the party’s preparedness, besides meeting religious leaders.
Responding to queries, Alphons said the party would have a meeting in Shillong from December 8-10 during which decisions about candidates and announcement of names would be taken.
BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav will also be present.
Maintaining that leaders from different parties are expected to join BJP after the announcement of the elections, Alphons said, “We are not in a hurry to get the leaders into our fold.”
Denying the allegations that BJP is a political wing of RSS, the leader from Kerala said BJP’s plan is to contest all the 60 seats in the upcoming elections.
Talks with church leaders
Alphons also met Church leaders in the city on Friday. He said the idea was to renew friendship and see how things were progressing. “I am going to meet the Arch Bishop. We did not talk politics, not even a word, but we were talking about other social issues which they have,” he said.
