By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 28: The BJP’s national vice president in charge of Meghalaya, M. Chuba Ao on Thursday ruled out the demand for the resignation of state BJP president Rikman G. Momin, stating he should not be faulted for the party’s decision to support the NPP in the Lok Sabha polls.
“Issuing a ticket is not in our hands. The central leaders decide it. The president is not wrong. He communicated the probable names but the central leaders did not agree,” Ao said.
“People should understand this and should not just demand the president’s resignation. The president cannot resign for no fault of his,” he added.
A section of the BJP’s Garo Hills leaders and workers have been demanding Momin’s resignation, accusing him of not doing enough to push for party candidates from the state.
Pointing out that some of the leaders and workers are on the verge of resigning, Ao said: “We cannot stop them from resigning. We appeal to them to keep calm since it is an alliance government and they have more chances to win. So, let us support them.”
He said the party leadership also understands who the loyalists are.
He discounted the theory that the move to support the NPP could backfire for the BJP. “We understand this (anger) will happen for a few days but people will calm down after the elections are over,” he said.
BJP admits to inviting Mukul to join
Ao on Thursday admitted that Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Sangma was officially invited to join the BJP.
“We had invited him to join but he did not show any interest,” he said while reacting to speculations about Sangma donning saffron.
“Dr Mukul is an ex-chief minister. He left Congress after the party made another person the state president and joined the TMC where he will not gain anything,” Ao said.
