SHILLONG, March 21: The Bharatiya Janata Party, bolstered by the electoral win in four states, has decided to go into election mode in Meghalaya soon for ensuring more than the two seats it had won in the 2018 Assembly polls.
The state elections are less than a year away.
After a meeting of the office-bearers on Monday, state BJP president Ernest Mawrie said the party has decided to start preparing for the elections as soon as the budget session of the Parliament ends.
As part of its poll strategy, the party would be filing RTIs at the mandal level in every constituency to dig up information about the improper or non-implementation of central schemes and programmes in the state. Complaints received from the people prompted this decision, Mawrie said.
“Many central leaders will start visiting Meghalaya after the Parliament session is over and instruct us on how to approach the polls,” he said.
“Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has also called us to Guwahati for tips on strengthening the party in Meghalaya,” he added.
Stating that the state government has been taking credit for central schemes such as Jal Jeevan Mission, PM Kisan and low-cost housing for the poor, Mawrie said the party workers would fan out to let the people know the status of such schemes.
During the meeting, the district heads of the party were asked to collect reports on how the party is being prepared for the elections. It was also decided to form a manifesto committee.
Meanwhile, the BJP is still awaiting a reply from Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on the inclusion of the five suspended Congress MLAs in the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government
“The CM is yet to reply to our letter seeking a clarification,” Mawrie said.
“He had first promised to give the reasons after the Manipur election. Later, he said he would clarify after the budget session of the Meghalaya Assembly,” he said.