BJP overconfident: Kharlukhi

SHILLONG, Nov 8: The National People’s Party on Tuesday asked the state BJP leaders to specify if the Constitution prevents any party from forming the government without the saffron party.
Central and state leaders of the BJP have been claiming that no party would be able to form the government after the 2023 Assembly polls without the help of the party.
“According to the Constitution, the Governor is bound to call a party which gets the absolute majority to form the government. So, I don’t know on what grounds are they saying this,” Rajya Sabha member and NPP state president WR Kharlukhi said on Tuesday.
“Which (Article of the) Constitution says the government cannot be formed without the BJP? And what if they get zero seats?” he asked.
On the BJP’s threat to pull out from the government turning cold, he said the saffron party is a toothless tiger and is unlikely to withdraw.
The BJP is confident that all the parties will line up to seek an alliance with it after the 2023 election results are declared. None of the constituents of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance, including the BJP, are keen on a pre-poll pact.
BJP legislator AL Hek asserted that the party will play a decisive role in forming the next government. He was confident that the saffron party would do its best in the Christian majority state to increase the tally of its MLAs to double digits.
Asserting that the party’s acceptability has increased in Meghalaya, Hek said people have witnessed the implementation of various schemes awarded by the BJP-led NDA Government to the state.
Hek, who left for Guwahati on Tuesday to attend a party meeting, said the BJP was strategizing well and discussions are taking place at various levels to ensure the party wins the maximum seats in 2023.
The party’s Mahila Morcha national president Vanathi Srinivasan aired a similar view during her recent visit to the state. So did Meghalaya BJP in-charge M Chuba Ao.
During his visit to the state, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said it would be unfortunate for the people of Meghalaya to not have BJP in the government.
The BJP and the NPP, despite being partners in the MDA, have been at loggerheads. The NPP leads the coalition and the BJP has two MLAs in the House of 60.