Shillong, Jan 31: Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Tuesday said former Assembly Speaker Martin M Danggo was in Guwahati for a month to finalise the deal with the BJP.
Talking to reporters, Tynsong claimed he had tried to call Danggo since last month but his mobile would always be switched off.
“I got information that he was staying in Guwahati to hold discussions with Assam BJP leaders. I think it was a preplanned move on his part to join the BJP,” Tynsong said, adding that it was childish of the former Assembly Speaker to leave the NPP for the BJP.
NPP youth wing state president Robert Nongrem on Tuesday said Danggo has always tried to shift responsibility to his supporters and people while taking any decision on his political future.
He said Danggo’s decision to join the BJP was finalised when he met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma along with leaders close to him in Guwahati recently.
“I have been with him since 2003. It has always been his strategy to push his decision through his supporters. As leaders, we need to lead from the front but he is trying to show that people are forcing him to jump to another political party. Why create this drama just to mislead the people?” Nongrem, who is also the NPP South West Khasi Hills district president, told reporters.
He mentioned that Danggo had done the same thing when he decided to resign as an MLA in 2018 in order to join the NPP.
“I remember I was asked to convene a similar meeting of the leaders from various polling stations like the one in Shillong Club yesterday (Monday). He was not present in that meeting. He had advised that we need to take a decision that if the NPP gives civil sub-division to Ranikor, then everyone will join the party as a token of appreciation,” Nongrem said.
He recalled that while re-joining the NPP, Danggo had stated he was ready to go to hell if his supporters so wanted. “Only time will tell if the decision to join the BJP is a hell or heaven for him,” Nongrem said.
He said the former Assembly Speaker betrayed the NPP twice. He said the party did not expect Danggo to betray it again.
He further said it will be futile to approach Danggo to reconsider his decision as the NPP leadership knows he has already made up his mind to join the BJP.
The NPP youth wing state president dismissed the charge of Danggo’s close aide Pelcy Snaitang that he conspired against the former Speaker to ensure the victory of UDP’s Ranikor MLA, Pius Marwein. He said it was a personal chat between him and YouTuber PS Lyngdoh on WhatsApp.
“I was just responding to his video where he says that all the 36 MLAs from the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region are useless,” Nongrem said.
He disclosed that the party has fixed a meeting on February 2 to decide if it will field a candidate in the Ranikor seat in place of Danggo.
