SHILLONG, Nov 13: State BJP chief Ernest Mawrie on Saturday ruled out factionalism in the party and said the leaders are working together to ensure victory in the 2023 Assembly polls.
“We do not have any faction we are united. There may be differences in opinion. Every politician has his own ambitions, which we cannot stop,” he said on the reported differences between him and senior BJP leader Alexander L. Hek.
“People may say we have differences but we do not because Bah Hek is a national executive member and Bah Sanbor is a minister and we are working together on how to win more seats and lead the government,” Mawrie added.
Earlier this year, reports suggested former minister Hek was trying to replace Mawrie as the state BJP president. The plot thickened when Hek was dropped from the Cabinet and South Shillong legislator, Sanbor Shullai was inducted in his place with top BJP national leaders kept in the dark.
Party insiders said Hek, who has been given the post of adviser to the Chief Minister, is still fuming over his unceremonious removal from the Cabinet. They also said the rift has percolated down from the leaders to the workers. On the BJP’s plan to deliver after cutting a sorry figure in the by-election, Mawrie said: “The by-poll happened barely a month after we had formed the Mandal in Rajabala. We could not succeed as we did not have much time to reach out to the public.”
The BJP did not contest Mawphlang and Mawryngkneng as it could not get a minimum of 1,500 people to form a Mandal in each of these constituencies, he said. “We are a national party and we have to follow the constitution of the party. We will prepare for 2023 and we are happy that our ally won the by-elections,” he added.