SHILLONG, Feb 20: Whilst other political parties have started invigorating themselves as part of the preparation for the 2023 Assembly elections, the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is yet to receive any major political fillip, especially in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region while in Garo Hills the party is expecting to spring a surprise, claiming that some legislators will join the party soon.
State BJP chief, Ernest Mawrie, on Sunday informed that he had recently visited Garo Hills during which two sitting legislators have expressed their willingness to switch their political allegiance to the BJP.
“I had gone to Garo Hills to meet some MLAs and ex-MLAs who are keen to join our party. While some ex-MLAs like Bluebell Sangma from Chokpot and Edmund K Sangma have already joined us, I also had a discussion with two sitting legislators at Tura who are willing to switch over,” said Mawrie.
The state BJP president, however, did not let the cat out of the bag, and said, with a smirk, that everything will be out in the open by July.
The state BJP chief said that apart from the former and sitting MLAs, there are many prominent candidates from 2018 Assembly elections who have joined the saffron party. “We are growing in strength in the Garo Hills region and we are sure to do well,” he said.
Talking about the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region, the state BJP chief informed that while one former MLA from Jaintia Hills is keen to join and represent the party during 2023 elections, the situation in Khasi Hills is quite the otherwise.
He said that although one or two sitting legislators from Khasi Hills have expressed their willingness to join the BJP, nothing convincing has come out of it.
It is still under discussion and there has been no confirmation yet, Mawrie said.