SHILLONG, April 16: After the souring of ties in Manipur, the BJP has reportedly decided not to partner with the National People’s Party (NPP) post polls in 2023.
While the NPP has not given up hope of returning to Nongthombam Biren’s coalition government in Manipur, there are speculations that the BJP and other allies in the current Meghalaya government may make it tough for Conrad K Sangma to form the next government.
“Sangma and NEDA (North-East Democratic Alliance) leader Himanta Biswa Sarma had in 2018 prepared the blueprint for the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government. Our central leadership is now perturbed by the NPP’s ambition to control the Northeast,” a senior BJP leader said on condition of anonymity.
The apprehension of the BJP leadership in Delhi and across the Northeast led to the NPP being kept out of the Manipur government, he said.
The BJP, it was learnt, may back other regional parties in view of scams and corruption issues plaguing the NPP, specifically the power sector irregularities and illegal coal mining and transportation that made the High Court of Meghalaya intervene.
“The manner in which AL Hek was dropped from the cabinet has also not gone down well with the state and central leadership of our party,” the BJP leader said.
The BJP is expected to give Sangma a tough fight in the Tura Assembly constituency by fielding sitting MDC, Bernard Rimpu Marak, against him. This indicates any pre-poll alliance between the two parties has been ruled out.
The NPP has also rubbed the BJP the wrong way by accommodating five suspended Congress MLAs in the MDA. “The outcome of our support to Sangma has been highly unsatisfactory,” the BJP leader said, claiming many MLAs and MDCs of NPP will jump ship ahead of the 2023 polls.
The BJP, he said, is keen on clipping the wings of the NPP even if it means sitting in the opposition less than a year from now.