SHILLONG: As many as five contenders are in the reckoning for the BJP ticket for the Shillong Lok Sabha seat as the party’s national election committee is set to meet on Saturday in New Delhi to finalise the list of candidates.
The five include South Shillong MLA Sanbor Shullai and minister AL Hek. The BJP’s state unit president, Shibun Lyngdoh, said that their names are not required to be sent to the election committee as they are MLAs.
Lyngdoh said the state unit has sent three other names to the election committee.
“Now, the decision of who will contest the elections will be taken by Amit Shah (BJP national president),” he said.
It may be mentioned that the BJP leadership wants AL Hek to contest the election from Shillong seat.
Hek, however, has not taken any decision yet. Lyngdoh further informed that four names of probable candidates have been sent for the Tura seat.
Lyngdoh is optimistic that the BJP would win both the seats as he believes that Lok Sabha elections are different from Assembly elections, and people would prefer to vote for a national party in parliamentary elections since they know that regional parties cannot do anything in New Delhi.
On being asked about the decision of the party to go solo despite being part of the MDA, he said that the alliance has two parts — one comprises of only the regional forces and the other a combination of all the parties.
He also said that the issue of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill will not hamper the party’s prospects since it is now a closed subject.
It may be mentioned that the BJP has two MLAs in the 60 -member House and is keen to win both the Lok Sabha seats from the state.
