NEW DELHI, Nov 20: Politics and governance in Meghalaya seems to be headed towards a ‘change’ with the nearly five-year-old bitter-sweet honeymoon of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the National People’s Party likely to end in a divorce in the coming days.
The BJP central leadership has considered all suggestions made by the state unit despite the internal division to withdraw support to the MDA coalition led by the NPP. The party will withdraw support any time now, BJP sources said on Sunday.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, however, is confident of remaining in the National Democratic Alliance even if the BJP withdraws from the MDA and even if his party goes to the 2023 Assembly polls alone.
Sources said the BJP is set to take its poll preparedness and mega expansion strategy in Meghalaya to the next and crucial stage. The central leadership is of the opinion that Conrad Sangma was given “ample opportunities” to mend his ways in running the coalition but he has not taken any “corrective step”.
“Some of our leaders did say we will withdraw support to Conrad Sangma’s government. But as a matter of principle we wanted to give him opportunities to change his ways, but there is no change,” a source said.
Asked when the BJP will make the announcement, a party leader on condition of anonymity, said: “Even if we have not withdrawn support to the NPP-led ministry, it is also true that the NPP will go alone in the polls.”
Certain matters are being considered before the divorce is official. Firstly, after the withdrawal of support the BJP has to “win over” disgruntled NPP legislators and other leaders, including some from the Congress and the Trinamool Congress, at various levels.
The BJP’s state unit has also made it clear that it would fight the electoral battle alone with any pre-poll pact.
Asked why the BJP was going slow on withdrawal of support, the party leader said withdrawal of support at this juncture may bring in political instability in Meghalaya. “We do not want that,” the leader said.
Party sources said enough groundwork has been done and a number of sitting MLAs, potential winning candidates and committed organisational leaders will join the BJP in the presence of top central leaders immediately after the Gujarat Assembly polls.
The party is planning to announce its chief ministerial candidate in December, BJP state president Ernest Mawrie said on Sunday.
According to Mawrie, the party is doing its homework and also analysing the prospects of MLAs from other parties contesting from the BJP.
The BJP is planning deeper penetration in the 24 seats on offer in the Garo Hills region and is gearing up to give the NPP a shock in days to come.
The sources said unlike what has been hyped, the so-called pro-Hindutva image of the BJP is no longer an issue in the Northeast, including Meghalaya, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provided a visionary leadership of inclusive governance and development.
PM Modi’s ideas were well accepted and respected at the G20 Summit and people of Meghalaya with a high percentage of education and English literacy understand the intricacies pretty well, the source said.
“People in Meghalaya and other Northeast states will not like to miss the opportunity of being with the BJP, which is seen as a party of the present and future,” the source said.
A key Assam leader and a party office bearer has been engaged recently to help the trio of national vice president and Meghalaya in-charge M Chuba Ao and two other BJP leaders — Sambit Patra and Rituraj Sinha.
Chuba is a senior BJP leader from Nagaland and thus his Christian background is also working as an advantage in terms of working out political strategies in Meghalaya, the party source claims.
(With inputs from IANS)
