SHILLONG, Nov 20: In a veiled attack, the BJP’s national vice-president and Meghalaya in-charge, M. Chuba Ao said the regional parties of the state with national outlook go to New Delhi with a begging bowl.
“These regional parties with national outlook have one agenda – go to Delhi with a begging bowl. What they do with it after returning is an open secret,” he told The Shillong Times on Saturday.
The National People’s Party, which heads the MDA coalition, has been maintaining that it is a party with a “national outlook and regional context”. The BJP is a constituent of the MDA.
The Hill State People’s Democratic Party had earlier taken a pot shot at the national parties, stating they do not care for the aspirations of the indigenous populace, unlike the regional entities.
Ao confirmed reports that some Congress MLAs are trying to join the saffron party but said the legislators will not want to be identified until the switchover happens.
The BJP had earlier claimed 14 Congress MLAs were waiting to join the saffron camp.
State BJP president Ernest Mawrie said he will soon lead a delegation of five MLAs, mostly from Congress, to meet their national president J.P. Nadda in New Delhi.
On the BJP’s poor performance in the by-polls, Ao said the party would be concentrating on election work throughout 2022 for doing well in the 2023 Assembly polls.
“The party has prospects. We need to channelise the work,” he added.
