SHILLONG, Feb 27: State BJP president Ernest Mawrie, who is eyeing the West Shillong seat in the upcoming Assembly polls in 2023, has exuded confidence in the party stating that it has the edge over its peers, which, he claims, is proven by election data of the party.
After delimitation, the BJP has not contested even once in the Assembly elections in West Shillong Constituency, Mawrie said, adding that the party is very keen to contest.
Asked if the BJP can be successful against the might of political heavy weights like the Congress and the UDP in the constituency, Mawrie said, “If we look at previous elections, especially Lok Sabha in 2014, our former president Shibun Lyngdoh, as a Lok Sabha candidate from Shillong parliamentary seat, secured the highest number of seats from that constituency and again in 2018 our MLA Sanbor Shullai contested Lok Sabha and that time also he secured the highest vote.”
“The people of the constituency support BJP and we have the vote bank that indicates we have an edge,” he added.
Pointing out that the constituency lacks development in various spheres, Mawrie insisted that an opportunity must be given to the BJP as the people have already tried and tested the UDP and Congress.
The State BJP chief also asserted that there will be no politics on religious card.
Talking about the issues they will lay emphasis on, Ernest Mawrie said the constituency has the menace of drugs, which the party will strive to eradicate if voted to power.
He also promised to build a government-run rehabilitation centre.