Shillong, Sep 25: Seven of the eight new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs finally visited their party office today for the first time.
The former United Democratic Party (UDP) legislators were led by Lahkmen Rymbui, the only cabinet minister among them. The eight turncoats formally joined the BJP on Wednesday, not here in Shillong but in New Delhi. Today they visited the BJP office after submitting their letter of intent to merge with the saffron party to officials in the Assembly.
Rymbui stated that the eight are hopeful that the issues raised with the BJP central leadership would eventually benefit the people of Meghalaya. The MLAs had reportedly listed four key demands to secure their defection – inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, amendment to the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) to check influx, easing of coal mining rules and relocation of the Harijan Colony from Them Ïew Mawlong. Today Rymbui said that they also wanted Niam Khasi/Niamtre to be included in the list of minority religions.
Referring to their decision to leave the UDP and join the BJP, Rymbui said the MLAs had clearly placed the aspirations and concerns of the people of Meghalaya before the BJP’s central leadership during their discussions in Delhi.
“I am hopeful that whatever we have spoken will help and benefit our people, which will strengthen and preserve our language and also protect the people of our state,” he said.
Rymbui said the MLAs had left the UDP “with a free and peaceful heart” and without any hatred, adding that their decision was based on their assessment of issues concerning the state.
He also pointed to what he described as the work done by the Meghalaya government over the last eight years under Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, while saying that several issues remained pending.
According to Rymbui, the MLAs believe their association with the BJP would provide an opportunity to take up these pending issues with the Centre. He said there was no specific timeline for the issues to be addressed but maintained that they would follow up on the matters “in due course of time”.
When asked whether the MLAs would leave the BJP if their demands were not fulfilled, Rymbui said they were approaching the matter positively. “We are the people who have a positive mindset. Let us be positive. Let us work together,” he said, adding that the MLAs hoped the central leadership would be able to fulfil the aspirations they had placed before it.
The Amlarem MLA acknowledged that the decision could attract criticism and taunts but said the MLAs, most of whom are relatively young, still had a long political journey ahead.
