SHILLONG: The BJP, which is yet to make any significant impact in Meghalaya, is again testing its strength in the Lok Sabha polls.
The past trend shows that the party’s performance was satisfactory in the urban Assembly constituencies.
Though the BJP could not win any seat in the 2014 polls, the then BJP candidate and state party president Shibun Lyngdoh who contested the Shillong seat garnered more votes in some urban constituencies and a few rural areas compared to his rivals.
Besides Lyngdoh, other contestants were Vincent Pala of the Congress, Paul Lyngdoh (UDP) and PBM Basaiawmoit (Independent supported by HSPDP and KHNAM).
Among the urban constituencies, Shibun secured 10,534 votes in South Shillong and Congress’s Pala, who won the polls, garnered only 4,645 votes.
Shullai, who was chosen by the BJP to contest the Shillong Lok Sabha seat, was then with NCP.
In West Shillong constituency, Shibun bagged 6,591 votes and the then sitting legislator and UDP candidate Paul garnered 3,921 votes while Pala secured only 3,407 votes.
In another urban constituency, North Shillong, the BJP candidate secured 5,165 votes and Pala came second with 4,233 votes. Roshan Warjri from the Congress was representing North Shillong then.
Pynthorumkhrah, currently represented by BJP MLA and Cabinet Minister AL Hek, was another constituency where the BJP secured more votes than the rival Congress.
Shibun got 6,984 votes and Pala 4,183. However, Hek was with the Congress then and he joined the saffron party prior to the Assembly polls in 2018.
The BJP candidate had also put up a good show in East Shillong and Nongthymmai constituencies.
In Raliang constituency of West Jaintia Hills represented by NPP MLA and Cabinet Minister Comingone Ymbon, Shibun came first with 7,097 votes. Ymbon was with the Congress then.
The BJP’s presence was felt in Khliehriat constituency in East Jaintia Hills. The votes polled for Shibun were 9,541 and Pala came first with 9,875 votes.
In the Assembly elections in 2018 that followed the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP could not make much impact as the party won only two seats, South Shillong and Pynthorumkhrah.
Later, the BJP decided not to contest the KHADC and JHADC polls due to the resistance of the people against the move of the BJP-led NDA to pass the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB).
Sources said in this context, it is yet to be known whether the CAB issue will have any impact in the Lok Sabha polls.
