By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 25: State BJP president Ernest Mawrie has been replaced by Rikman Momin, a senior party leader from Garo Hills and BJP national council member, in a move that has come as a surprise to some party functionaries. However, after the recent mudslinging over the departure of HM Shangpliang from the saffron brigade, many would argue that this was coming. The outgoing president, Mawrie, nonetheless, says his ouster is not perfunctory or unceremonious.
The development was confirmed by BJP national general secretary Arun Singh in a notification issued on Monday.
Earlier, murmurs among a section of the party rank and file spoke of the need to replace Mawrie, particularly after Shangpliang’s exit and his subsequent entry into the ruling NPP, which had caused a string of verbal spats between the former party leader and the then party president.
Reacting to the move, outgoing president Ernest Mawrie said, “It is the system in the party that when the term is over, we elect the new president. I will continue to work for the party to strengthen it,” Mawrie said.
Asked why elections were not held for the post of party president this time, Mawrie said the decision was made by the central leaders. He explained that members have always followed the nomination process of the party.
“There are two systems, nomination and election. Till today, we have been practicing nomination.
When they appointed me as president in 2020, it was like an election because we had three contenders — AL Hek and David Kharsati. I was elected as president,” Mawrie said.
The new state president of the party, Rikman Momin is expected to take charge in a day or so.
Senior member expelled
The BJP, on the other hand, has expelled one of its senior party workers, Dayanand Kumar Singh, for reportedly committing breach of discipline by misusing the name of the party
Mawrie, the outgoing State BJP president, recently issued a letter to Singh in this regard stating that had been expelled from the party for misconduct, and committing breach of discipline by misusing the name of the party and senior party functionaries, as per recommendation of the Disciplinary Committee