BJP likely to contest both Lok Sabha seats in state

SHILLONG, April 1: The BJP is likely to contest from both Shillong and Tura seats in next year’s Lok Sabha elections
Party sources said a decision on the candidates will be taken on Monday.
State BJP chief Ernest Mawrie said the party’s central leadership is focused on winning as many Lok Sabha seats as possible from the Northeast to strengthen the party organisation and push development to the last mile.
He disclosed that four to five candidates – some of them former MLAs – are vying to contest the elections.
Mawrie said BJP’s national secretary and Northeast in-charge Rituraj Sinha is likely to finalise the names of the candidates after attending a meeting to hear out the aspirants.
The BJP had a dismal performance in the Assembly elections. It had won just 2 of the 59 seats it contested. But Mawrie said Lok Sabha elections are different from Assembly elections. He said people will be focused more on who is in power in Delhi and will vote for development.
He also said that the ground work to strengthen the party’s polling booth committees has already started and there are a series of meetings lined up. The first of these meetings of BJP leaders from across the Northeast will be held in Guwahati to formulate strategies for winning as many seats as possible in the Lok Sabha elections, Mawrie added.