SHILLONG, July 17: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) central leadership will take the final call on the party’s candidate for the upcoming Shillong Lok Sabha by-election after the Election Commission of India announces the poll schedule.
Informing this here on Friday, BJP MLA Alexander Laloo Hek said the Meghalaya BJP has already forwarded the names of several aspirants to the party high command in New Delhi.
“We have held several rounds of discussions, but no final decision has been taken. The Meghalaya BJP has already sent the names, but the final decision on the candidate will be taken by the central leadership in Delhi,” he said, while speaking to reporters here.
Hek also confirmed that the BJP will field its own candidate in the by-election.
Earlier, BJP Meghalaya general secretary Wankitbok Pohshna had said that several leaders had applied for the party ticket, and the party’s election committee was examining all the applications before recommending the most suitable candidate.
Expressing confidence in the BJP’s prospects, Pohshna said the party, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, no longer needs to convince the public of its capabilities.
He said electing a BJP Member of Parliament (MP) from Meghalaya would strengthen the state’s representation at the Centre, as an MP from the ruling party would be better placed to pursue Meghalaya’s pending demands and coordinate with the Centre.
“Not every demand can be fulfilled immediately, but having a BJP MP will make it easier to raise the state’s concerns and seek support for Meghalaya’s developmental priorities,” he added.
