By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 20: BJP state vice president and GHADC member, Bernard N Marak has defended party’s state president, Ernest Mawrie, saying the latter should not be blamed for the party’s debacle in the Rajabala bypolls.
Mawrie has been facing a barrage of attacks from dissident groups within the party who have decided to serve an ultimatum to the central leaders of the BJP for a change of leadership. Inaction on the part of the central leaders could lead to mass resignations, a dissident party leader had warned.
Marak on Monday recalled that party leaders in Garo Hills had insisted on setting up a candidate despite knowing that the party’s organisational structure was not completed in that mandal.
“We will not commit the same mistake in 2023 and no candidate will be setup without completing the organisational structures. The dissident groups should stop accusing the BJP leader over issues that involve the entire team as they are not aware of the efforts being made by the state team, district teams, Morchas and Mandals to make the party stronger to compete against giants like Congress and others,” he said.
Claiming that the BJP is growing stronger in the state and district, Morcha and Mandal leaders are working hard to make the party win maximum number of seats in the 2023 election, Marak said that the dissident groups should respect the decisions taken by the central leaders.
He also said that the dissident groups should come forward to work together for the party instead of attacking the state leadership over irrelevant issues.
Earlier, the dissigent groups had made it clear that they will not contest the 2023 Assembly elections under Mawrie’s leadership, stating that it will only lead to disaster as the outcome of the by-election to the Rajabala seat showed.