SHILLONG, Feb 4: Michael Kharsyntiew, who will contest as an independent after being denied the BJP ticket from North Shillong constituency, has again raked up the issue of cash-for-ticket scam which had come to light in 2019.
Talking to reporters here on Friday, Kharsyntiew claimed that he was compelled to rake up this issue again after a section of the media had reported that he was denied the party ticket for raising an “unfounded” cash-for-ticket scam.
It may be recalled that BJP leader Nalin Kohli, who was in charge of Meghalaya earlier, had attempted to downplay this issue when it surfaced in 2019.
The BJP central leadership had suppressed the issue when it was discussed during the meeting of the state executive committee.
Kharsyntiew claimed that the B Goenka-headed disciplinary committee, in its exhaustive report submitted to Kohli on August 30, 2019, had found that former state BJP president Shibun Lyngdoh and former BJP general secretary Bashai Khongwir had taken money in exchange for the party ticket.
According to him, this issue should have died down if the party leadership had taken action against the two leaders as per the report of the disciplinary committee.
It was reported earlier that when Michael continued to raise the issue during the state executive committee in 2019, Kohli told him that the matter was heard enough, and if it were to be raised again, he would leave the chair.
Kharsyntiew said that it was his duty as an honest party man to bring up the issue in the closed-door meeting of the party when the two former leaders had taken money to give tickets.
“I had never gone to the press. I am hurt and feel betrayed for being denied the party ticket for raising this issue internally. As a loyal party man, I think the party leadership should know about the illegalities in the party,” he said.
Goenka, who headed the inquiry of the disciplinary committee, had said that it was his responsibility to find out the culprit then the responsibility of the party leadership to take action against the two leaders.
According to him, the crime and punishment should be the same for the former president and general secretary. Giving an insight into this whole episode, Kharsyntiew said the disciplinary committee had produced the videographic evidence that both Lyngdoh and Khongwir had taken Rs 34 lakh from his mother for the party ticket when he had contested from Umsning constituency in 2018.
Meanwhile, Kharsyntiew urged his supporters not to lose heart even though he has been denied the party ticket.
“I am upset since I have worked very hard for the party. It is surprising to see that people who joined the party only four months back are being appointed as the spokesperson and even made a member of the state executive committee. Now, he has even been given the party ticket,” he said.
Meanwhile, the BJP state leadership has said that the party candidates were selected on the basis of their work, and on the basis of their acceptability among the people.
On the question of some of the aspiring candidates threatening to leave the party and contesting, the BJP said that it was natural for some aspirants who had been denied tickets to feel bad, and sometimes even level unfounded allegations against the party.
“We are humans, we have feelings, and this reaction is natural. However, we, in the BJP, believe in working for the nation through the party and not in working for any one individual,” the party said.