Tura, Nov 24: The bickering within the BJP in Garo Hills continues with the BJP District General Secretary, Wilver Greham Danggo reacting sharply on Thursday, to the statement made by former MLA and party colleague John Leslee K Sangma, where he raised questions about the latter’s claim that Meghalaya in-charge, Dr M Chuba Ao had advised him to join the party adding, the matter needs to be verified.
“The claims made by John Leslee Sangma that Meghalaya incharge Dr M Chuba Ao advised him to join party needs to be verified as there was a similar case earlier when Benedict Marak, former CEM of GHADC refused to accommodate Tura MDC Bernard N Marak stating that Dr Ao wanted Akki Sangma to be appointed as adviser to the CEM in place of Bernard N Marak who was kept in an opposition till this day. Dr Ao might have advised him to join the party and work to strengthen the party but nobody can approach any individual on promises of issuing a ticket,” Danggo said in a statement on Thursday.
Interestingly, while Danggo’s statement mentioned a claim made by the former MLA of being promised a party ticket, the latter, in his earlier statement had not mentioned any such promise being made during his joining.
Thursday’s statement by Danggo also alleged that step motherly treatment continues to be meted out to the Tura MDC till his arrest and the same was celebrated by certain section of the leaders and aspiring candidates who do not care about the party organization.
“If Leslee gets the ticket on grounds of favoritism, the whole structure collapses which is actually a plan of rival party leaders who made secret deals to make BJP lose in Garo Hills. Moreover, the RTI findings of John Leslee’s MLA schemes from his MLA term have unearthed ghost projects which were sanctioned to the same people again and again,” Danggo alleged adding, this led to his downfall in 2018.
Danggo further added that perhaps the former MLA had been misled by his statement and what he wanted to make it clear was that he should have had a meeting with party leaders of Tura City District Committee and South Tura Mandal Committee before allegedly ‘declaring himself as the BJP candidate’.
“He may have joined the party after discussion with central leaders but for applying the ticket and declaring himself he must first come to the District Committee as the Central & State leaders too cannot violate this protocol. If he really wants to be a candidate then he must bring his application to the District Committee Office then we will verify and approve and send it to the State,” Danggo said.