TURA: The BJP’s numbers in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council are dwindling by the day with another elected Member (MDC) resigning from the party in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill that seeks to provide Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries.
Sitting MDC from Dalu border constituency of West Garo Hills, Kurosh Marak, tendered his resignation from the party on Monday citing opposition to the bill.
Though Kurosh got elected as an Independent candidate he later joined the BJP. There is no anti-defection law in the GHADC.
“People in my constituency, including my supporters, have opposed the Citizenship Amendment Bill and as their elected representative it is my duty to stand by them and oppose it. That’s why I along with the entire party morcha in Dalu-Barengapara have decided to resign,” said Kurosh Marak while speaking to The Shillong Times.
He added that the BJP unit in Dalu have also been dissolved over the issue.
The resignation of Kurosh comes barely three days after another BJP MDC, Sofiur Rahman of Balachanda, withdrew his membership from the party over the same issue.
Meanwhile, the president of the BJP’s youth wing-BJYM in West Garo Hills, Ataur Rahman Ahmed, has also resigned from the party. Ahmed tendered his resignation on Monday citing the Citizenship Amendment Bill.
With these latest developments, the BJP is left with only one MDC in the 30 member GHADC.
Interestingly, although both Kurosh and Sofiur have resigned from the BJP, yet, they have informed that they will remain with the NPP led alliance that currently rules the GHADC.