Shillong, April 25: Meghalaya Cabinet Minister and State BJP leader AL Hek on Tuesday informed that the decision to merge with the BJP is something the AITC leaders cannot take alone as it involves five of them and a positive reply is awaited.
Although making it clear that it was an informal conversation over tea, Hek said that he had spoken to AITC State chief, Charles Pyngrope and AIRC Parliamentary party leader Dr Mukul Sangma about the merger.
“They have to take collective decision as there are five of them and it will attract anti-defection law ,” said Hek.
“We are waiting for a positive reply and simultaneously next step will follow,” he added.
The BJP leader also made it clear that he is no negotiator of the party and it is just that he happened to speak to them over a cup of tea.
According to a report in a language daily, four MLAs belonging to TMC which had a disappointing performance at the last election, were desperate to change their political fortune by joining the BJP bandwagon.
Mukul is said to have initiated the merger move with the BJP. Informed sources said that Mukul’s bête noire Conrad Sangma put his foot down and ensured that BJP’s top strategist and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma short circuited the move.
Party president Charles Pyngrope and parliamentary party leader Mukul Sangma had discounted such a possibility.
Talking about the Lok Sabha elections, Hek informed that the BJP will contest from both the Shillong and Tura seats.