SHILLONG, July 2: A majority of state BJP leaders have rallied behind Health Minister and senior party leader AL Hek to don the state party president’s hat.
Hek, seen as the face of the saffron party in Meghalaya, had expressed his desire to lead the party if given the responsibility.
Some BJP leaders said on the condition of anonymity that they have been demanding a change of guard so that a credible face can lead the party into the Assembly elections in 2023.
“We are hopeful that if Hek takes over as president the party can win more seats. We may score a duck if the present scenario continues,” one of them said, adding that the issue has been reported to central leaders.
The central leaders have not been able to visit the state to settle the issue due to the second wave of COVID-19. They are, however, hopeful that Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to the state would pave the way for the change in leadership.
The party leaders pointed out that the incumbent state president, Ernest Mawrie has been removing leaders from their posts due to his insecurity, the latest instance being the removal of Pramod Koch as president of BJP State Kisan Morcha.
Party insiders also claimed that during his recent visit to Delhi, Mawrie was specifically asked not to speak against the MDA government.
“We are steadfast in our demand since both Mawrie and Sarvan Jhunjhunwala (treasurer) are supporting the Congress and their allegations against the state government has helped the Opposition party win more seats than expected in the GHADC elections held earlier this year,” they said.
The BJP’s internal rumbling is not new but the rift seems to have widened in recent times.
The rift in the party became evident ever since Mawrie raised his voice against the MDA government over allegations of large-scale corruption in the GHADC, illegal mining and transportation of coal and the issue of central bonded warehouse beside others.
