State BJP leaders bank on removal of Mawrie

SHILLONG, May 5: With the conclusion of Assembly elections to four states and a union territory, various state BJP leaders have expressed hope that the central leadership will now decide on the ouster of state party president, Ernest Mawrie.
Select leaders of the saffron party, requesting anonymity on Wednesday, said, “The removal of Mawrie will be a reality as central leaders are now expected to show more importance to other Northeastern states and its alliance which Mawrie has been hampering by alleging corruption charges”.
The BJP leaders, discontented with the modus operandi of the state party president, maintained that the show-cause notice issued by Mawrie to Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) MDC, Pramod Koch, is most likely going to create more problems for Mawrie.
It was informed that several key leaders and party workers are disgruntled with the way the state BJP president exercises his powers.
The party sources also alleged that Mawrie had earlier issued notices to party MLAs — Sanbor Shullai and AL Hek — and former party vice-president, JA Lyngdoh, for speaking against him in the media.
“However Mawrie’s approach has been labelled as an act of sarcasm as his words are directed against his own government in the media and public. In this regard, dissident party leaders will request central leaders to issue a show-cause notice to Mawrie for speaking against the MDA government,” the party sources said.
They bemoaned that the issuing of notices to party leaders by Mawrie has created an internal rift, thereby weakening the party strength.
According to party sources, if Mawrie continues to hold his post then Shullai, along with his large base of supporters, will withdraw from the party.
It is also observed that Hek will lose credibility in the party with everyone knowing that Mawrie and Sarwan Jhunjhunwala will not allow Hek to lead the party.
Party sources also revealed that Mawrie and Sarwan are now losing their favour, charm and influence from central leaders after several party leaders registered complaints against them.
According to sources, the party strength of the state BJP has weakened in recent past with several key office-bearers resigning, coincidentally after Mawrie was appointed as the state BJP president.
Alleging that Mawrie went on to fill various posts within the party on his own without any consultation, the party sources said that the karyakartas are sending strong signals for AL Hek to succeed Mawrie as the state party president, especially taking into account Hek’s experience. Sources also revealed that the nexus between Congress and some BJP members will no longer remain a secret.
They alleged that the RTIs have been filed to expose the role of a prominent party leader whose brother has been awarded huge and multiple tenders, and several projects during the previous Congress government, and the same party leaders are suspected to have a nexus with the Congress.
Moreover, the leaders of the saffron party said that they are waiting for the COVID-19 situation to improve before they aggressively move forward with their demand for Mawrie’s removal.