Lanong slams Shibun comment on defection

SHILLONG: UDP leader and former deputy chief minister Bindo Lanong has criticised state BJP president Shibun Lyngdoh for supporting defection.
“It is a surprise that the state president of the ruling party at the Centre is supporting defection”, Lanong said on Monday when asked to comment about Shibun’s stand on defection.
Shibun had on Sunday welcomed defection of members to the running party.
According to Lanong, Shibun should read the
Tenth Schedule to the Constitution to know that defection has been banned since 1985.
“Before 1985 there were people who shifted allegiance to various political parties and jumped so many ramps”, Lanong said.
Lanong, who is also a former Assembly Speaker, said defection is not allowed either by a split or by anything except merger by dissolving the existing party.
“And in a coalition government, you can only lend issue based support to the ruling alliance”, he said.
Lanong also pointed out that it is wrong to say that a person will get benefits only after joining the ruling party.
“There are many states which are not run by the BJP and once there is no strong opposition, it is the end of democracy”, he said.
Lanong also said ever since he joined politics in 1972, he never defected from one political party to another.
“I was elected as MDC six times and MLA two times, I never defected to any party but continued to remain in the same party and political morality is the need of the hour”, Lanong said.