SHILLONG, April 7: The BJP unit in Garo Hills has finally agreed to extend support to NPP candidate and incumbent Lok Sabha member, Agatha Sangma for the upcoming elections. The breakthrough was made possible during a reconciliation meeting between the two parties in Tura on Sunday.
However, some of the BJP leaders in Garo Hills still remain distraught over the failure of NPP national president and Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to accommodate the two BJP MDCs in the GHADC in the NPP-led executive committee.
The absorption of the two BJP MDCs (now in the opposition) in the GHADC EC was one of the conditions put forward by the State BJP for extending all out support to the NPP candidate.
A BJP leader told The Shillong Times that the failure of the chief minister to give a clear-cut assurance to the party on their demand has resulted in some BJP leaders expressing their resentment. They argue that if the NPP and the BJP are partners, why the former is keeping the latter in the opposition in the GHADC.
The NPP team was led by the chief minister. Other NPP leaders who attended the meeting included Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma and NPP working president Marcuise N Marak. The BJP was led by state president Rikman G Momin.
During the meeting, Conrad told the BJP leaders that every vote for Agatha Sangma will be a vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged for their support.
The BJP leaders in Garo Hills will now take the message forward and organise meetings in their respective constituencies to drum up support for the NPP candidate, now that the truce has been called.
Meanwhile, the BJP decided to ignore the allegation levelled by TMC leader Mukul Sangma that MPCC president Vincent H Pala was the chief architect of the NPP-BJP-Congress “nexus” in Meghalaya, stating that “many things are said before elections but some amount of tell-tale sign should be there to endorse such statements”.
“Officially BJP in Meghalaya is supporting NPP as an alliance partner of the NDA. BJP’s tie-up with Congress is an absurd remark. There should be some evidence if such statements are made,” BJP spokesperson M Kharkrang said.
TMC leader Mukul Sangma has slammed the Congress for contesting from the Tura seat and alleged that Pala is the chief architect of an “unholy” nexus among NPP, BJP and Congress.
He alleged that the NPP, BJP and Congress started hobnobbing after the Assembly elections of last year and entered into a collective conspiracy to decide the Leader of Opposition.
Reacting to this, the BJP spokesperson said, “I cannot comment on the NPP, but the BJP was not hobnobbing with the Congress.”
