Claims, counter-claims over Leslee candidature continue

TURA, Nov 23: A day after BJP Tura City District Committee general secretary Wilver Greham Danggo rejected former South Tura MLA John Leslee K Sangma’s candidature for the upcoming Assembly elections, the latter on Wednesday left it to the wisdom of the party high command and the Central Election Committee (CEC) to take a call.
Danggo on Tuesday rejected Leslee as a potential BJP candidate for the upcoming Assembly elections, reasoning that the former MLA is neither an active member of the BJP nor has he attended any party meeting. “The committee is not aware of his candidature as he has never set foot in the party office. On the other hand, Bernard N Marak has never claimed to be a candidate but has worked as a karyakarta to strengthen the party and found favour with many. We expect the same from Leslee if he wants to be a leader he should be a Karyakarta first,” Danggo said on Tuesday.
However, Leslee, in a statement on Wednesday, expressed surprise over the claim made by Danggo that the former was not an active member of the BJP.
“I would like to clarify that I joined the party on the advice of the BJP national vice president and Meghalaya in-charge who along with other top leaders 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 AL Hek and Sanbor Shullai, who all welcomed me to the party,” Leslee said.
On the allegation by Danggo that Leslee had never attended party meetings, the latter said that he has been part of BJP programmes, including the induction ceremony of MDC Dhormonath Sangma.
“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 said.
“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 BJP president himself is not accepted and recognised at the district level,” Leslee added.