The BJP camp in the state is getting increasingly restless with the party high command’s delay in announcing the candidates for the Shillong and Tura Lok Sabha Parliamentary seats.
The Election Commission of India has today announced April 19 as the election date for the northeast including Meghalaya, in the first phase.
While the central leadership of the BJP had announced 267 candidates to vie for the polls, the name of contenders for the Meghalaya seats is yet to be announced.
According to the State BJP, names of five contenders have been sent to the central leadership. They are former president Ernest Mawrie, Cabinet Minister AL Hek, Fenela L Nonglait, Mewaker Lyngdoh Pakma and Sumitra Laloo.
For the Tura Parliamentary Seat there are six individuals vying for the BJP ticket- Bernard N Marak , Boston Marak , Riya Sangma, KC Boro, Winnerson D Sangma and Thomas Sangma.
The state BJP members were hopeful that the candidates’ name for both Shillong and Tura Parliamentary seats would be announced in either the first list (March 2) or second list (March 13).
According to BJP sources, the party could have named the candidates on either of the above mentioned dates but were prevented by the National People’s Party (NPP).
The NPP an ally of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the centre, led by the BJP, wants the saffron party, if at all it fields any candidates, the election results should be in favour the former.
This has not gone down well with a section of state BJP leaders who wants the party to establish a foothold in Meghalaya.
However, all seems to not be going well even within the party with the two BJP legislators – Cabinet Minister, AL Hek and Sanbor Shullai, while the former is interested to join the fray, Shullai is in favour of giving the ticket to Fenela L. Nonglait.
The party is also facing dilemma in announcing its candidate for the Tura seat. Earlier there were talks that with the defection of ex-MLA, Winnerson D Sangma from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and close aide of Dr Mukul Sangma, he may be given the ticket, but as of now things are not going in that direction.
Recently, Leader of Opposition and Congress MLA Ronnie V Lyngdoh had accused that the TMC and the BJP has a “secret understanding” in Meghalaya for the Lok Sabha polls.
The TMC, has accused the Leader of the Opposition, of shamelessly aligning with the NPP-led Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, even as it stated that state Congress president Vincent Pala acts as the BJP’s Assam CM’s C team through Conrad Sangma.
For the Shillong seat, the Voice of the People’s Party has fielded Dr Ricky AJ Syngkon, Regional Democratic Alliance and alliance of the UDP and HSPDP has fielded Robertjune Kharjahrin and the NPP, Amapreen Lyngdoh.
In Tura Parliamentary Seat, sitting MP Agatha K Sangma will contest from the NPP, the Congress announced the name of Saleng A Sangma and the TMC will field Zenith Sangma.
