Former deputy speaker and South Shillong legislator Sanbor Shullai Former deputy speaker and South Shillong legislator Sanbor Shullai is BJP’s choice for Shillong Lok Sabha seat despite having other aspirants as the party’s central leadership hopes that he will be able to make a difference. Shullai is determined to make inroads both in urban and rural constituencies. The five-time MDC and three-time MLA spoke exclusively to Sannio Siangshai in Jowai when he took a break after his hectic campaigning. Excerpts:
ST: What is the reason that you were chosen to contest Shillong seat?
Sanbor Shullai: You see actually, I must express my sincere thanks to the state party under the leadership of Shibun Lyngdoh, who recommended my name to Delhi and the party in Delhi named me as the official candidate of the party from Shillong parliamentary seat. I abide by the directive of the party and I come forward to contest the election.
ST: Are you not going against the spirit of MDA coalition by contesting from BJP since you are part of the MDA?
SS: I can’t comment on that but you see we are a national party under the leadership of Narendra Modiji. We have around 11 crore members and as a national party we are contesting alone and not aligning with any party in the state.
ST: What is your agenda?
SS: Agenda? There are various kinds of agenda. The first agenda is development. You have seen within five years, Narendra Modiji has created various schemes to benefit the people at the grassroots level — the BPL families, middle class and low income group — and as of today, due to support to the NDA government, we are getting various kinds of benefits here in Meghalaya, be it healthcare, livelihood initiatives and other schemes.
ST: Your national president Amit Shah said the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) will be passed once BJP comes to power. Does it not go against your stand? Will you allow CAB to be passed?
SS: The statement of Amit Shah on CAB is his personal comment but for me, I will continue to oppose the CAB. Regarding the CAB issue, AL Hek and I, along with Shibun Lyngdoh, met Narendra Modi and directly told him that the North East people are protesting against the bill and it must not be passed.
I am the first MLA to reach Narendra Modi and submit a memorandum where we had clearly stated that if the CAB is passed or approved, we will both resign from the party as it has badly affected the sentiments of people in the entire North East.
ST: What if the bill is reintroduced again?
SS: We will not allow and I have clearly said we will never allow it and we are strong enough to fight. The people of the state should be happy that we are in the party and we reached out quickly to the central government ruled by the BJP to highlight the problems arising out of it in the state and also in the North East.
ST: Some quarters say that you were fielded to divide the votes of the Congress and not to win. How far it is true?
SS: No, I am contesting as per the directive of the party from Delhi. They found me fit and they asked me to contest and I have to obey the directive.
ST: BJP is often criticised as an anti-Christian party. What is your view?
SS: No, we are not against Christians. The BJP had bought huge area of land in New Delhi to construct a Catholic and a Presbyterian churches. They blame us that we will ban beef. When was beef banned here in Meghalaya? Are you not getting beef? This is the propaganda of the Congress party who ruled and ruined India for many decades.
ST: What will you do for the people if you are elected?
SS: You see, as per paragraph 12 of the Constitution of India, we are under the Sixth Scheduled area and we are facing a serious problem due to NGT ban on coal mining since 2014. In the last election we had conveyed that within six months, we are going to lift the ban but the people of Meghalaya elected only two of us. They did not give us power to resolve their problems.
ST: The BJP had done well in 2014 Lok Sabha polls. As a BJP candidate, what are your expectations this time?
SS: I had asked the people what they have seen in TV. Under the leadership of Narendra Modiji, the government has done a lot of development in the entire North East and in the country and I hope we will get more than 300 seats to form the government in Delhi.