SHILLONG, Oct 9: The state BJP, eyeing the Rajabala seat, is hoping to cash in on the apparent divide in the Congress camp and its development agenda.
“The Congress is dying and it is evident from what is happening to it in the state and elsewhere. We will be able to capitalise on it,” state BJP chief Ernest Mawrie said on Saturday.
He pointed out that the BJP candidate secured more than 3,000 votes in Rajabala in the last election.
Mawrie said his party is also banking on development and assurance to address the issue of floods in the constituency.
“The Centre has given our state many schemes such as Saubhagya, Jal Jeevan Mission, old age pension, NREGS and PMGSY. If people want plans, relief from floods, good connectivity and water supply, they need not look further than BJP,” he said.
Mawrie said the party will start campaigning after October 15 after it gets the approved list of campaigners by Monday. The campaigners include Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju.
Rajabala is the only seat the BJP is contesting. Its candidate is Kingstone B. Marak, the party’s vice-president in the West Garo Hills district.
The Rajabala seat is said to be a Congress bastion, but differences within the party is expected to affect its performance this time. Congress has fielded Hashina Yasmin Mondal, the first woman from the minority community and the widow of former party MLA Azad Zaman.
Former legislator Ashahel D Shira, who had four months ago won the Batabari MDC seat under Rajabala for Congress, joined the United Democratic Party (UDP) after being overlooked for the Assembly seat. He is the UDP’s candidate for Rajabala.
The UDP is an ally of the National People’s Party (NPP) in the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government.
The NPP has fielded Abdus Saleh from Rajabala.
