New minister Sanbor Shullai had given up hope of becoming a member of the cabinet until he was elevated to the position earlier this week.
According to Shullai, in 2018 there was an agreement in front of the central leaders of the BJP that the cabinet berth allotted to the saffron party would be shared equally between the two legislators of the party.
The halfway mark of the government’s five-year term was in September last year.
“I thought that my dream of getting these two and half years will not materialise. So, I had given up and allowed him (party colleague AL Hek) to continue and I wanted to concentrate on working for the welfare of the people in my constituency,” Shullai said. “But once the directive came from the party to take over then I had to abide.”
With less than two years to go before the next state elections are due, there is not much time for Shullai, who has been given the Arts and Culture portfolio, among others, to make his mark but he said, “If you work sincerely, even within one year we can do so many things.”
The South Shillong MLA, who has previously criticised state party president Ernest Mawrie in public, was brazen enough to claim that there is no infighting in the BJP.
Responsible leaders are only concerned about the interest of the party and leave aside their personal feelings, he said, adding that he is hopeful of an improved showing in the 2023 Assembly elections.
“If we form our own (BJP) government, in the area of 33-34 seats, then the state will get a lot of benefits,” Shullai concluded.
