By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 19: Even as polling was underway on Friday, senior BJP leader and South Shillong MLA, Sanbor Shullai said the people of Khasi-Jaintia Hills will make a big mistake if they do not vote in favour of the NPP’s Shillong candidate, Ampareen Lyngdoh.
After casting his vote, Shullai told reporters people regretted after electing an MP, “who just sat in a corner”, in the 2019 polls.
He said they will regret again if they elect someone who will not be a part of the NDA government. He was confident the NDA will retain power at the Centre.
Shullai said if the BJP-backed Lyngdoh is elected, it will benefit the people of Khasi and Jaintia Hills in terms of developmental schemes and projects.
“I am confident that Ampareen Lyngdoh will be a part of the Union Cabinet if she is elected. I am also confident that people will vote wisely to enjoy benefits which people in the other BJP-ruled states of the Northeast are enjoying,” Shullai said.
On the BJP not contesting in Meghalaya, he said the party was able to convince its leaders and workers on why it did not field candidates and instead, decided to extend support to the NPP in both Shillong and Tura seats.
“We have similar arrangements in Tripura and Assam. We must understand that the NPP and the BJP are partners both at the Centre and the state,” he said.
He was confident the BJP leaders and workers will respect the decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the party leadership to vote in favour of the NPP candidates.
Exemption of Sixth Schedule
areas from UCC
Shullai advocated that the Sixth Schedule areas of Meghalaya should be exempted from the purview of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). He said he has nothing to comment on the UCC’s implementation in other parts of the country.
“I was the first one to write a memorandum to PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to exempt the Sixth Schedule areas from the purview of the UCC,” the BJP legislator said.
He recalled that he was also the first MLA to oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill – now Citizenship (Amendment) Act – when it was placed before the Parliamentary Standing Committee for a deliberation.
He was hopeful the Centre would exempt Meghalaya from the UCC’s purview as it had done in the case of CAA.
“I am hopeful that we will get a positive response once the BJP-led NDA forms the next government at the Centre,” he said.