Tura, Nov 23: Former South Tura MLA and BJP party ticket aspirant, John Leslee K Sangma on Wednesday downplayed the BJP Tura City District Committee’s rejection of his candidature for the upcoming assembly Elections and left it to the wisdom of the party high command and the CEC to decide on the matter.
Issuing a statement with regard to the matter, Sangma expressed surprise and confusion on the claim made by District general Secretary, Wilver Greham Danggo that he was not an active member or had attended any party meeting and said, “I would like to clarify that I joined the party on the advice of the National Vice President and Meghalaya in-charge who along with other top leaders who took the time to send a party delegation to my residence to convince me to join. It was under their initiative that I joined the party in the presence of State President Ernest Mawrie, senior BJP leaders and MLAs A L Hek and Sanbor Shullai, who all welcomed me to the party”.
On the allegation by Danggo that he had never attended party meetings the former MLA said that he had attended party programmes including the joining ceremony of MDC Dhormonath Sangma, which was attended by top party leaders.
“Mr Wilver is contradicting himself as there are video clips to show both of us attending the same programme which was supposed to be the kick off campaign for the upcoming Assembly Elections as declared by the State BJP President at the time. His statement in the media about rejecting me as the potential party candidate and my right to apply for a party ticket as a member of the BJP has taken away the right of the Central Election Committee,” the former MLA added.
Sangma further said that Danggo’s claim that he was not an active member of the BJP was a mockery of the authority of the State BJP President and all those who attended his joining programme as well as belittled the authority of the President, the National Vice President and Meghalaya in-charge, Dr Chuba Ao and others who worked hard to convince him to join the party.
“Mr Wilver’s statement has in no way dampened my intention to give the people of South Tura the right to choose but has greatly damaged the efforts of the party to bring in more productive members. It will also discourage MLAs and former MLAs from joining the party as it will create confusion and doubt if the membership of the party registered and inducted by the State President himself is not accepted and recognized at the district level,” Sangma added.