Rimjen Ch Sangma, chairman of the Save B Mahal Committee and chairman of the Garo State Movement Committee’s Pedaldoba unit, is to seek a BJP ticket for the Raksamgre seat at the upcoming state elections.
A meeting was held today in the B Mahal area where, Sangma said in a press release, hundreds of B Mahal residents along with the A Mahal Nokma and sorders pledging to support him if he runs on a BJP ticket.
The B Mahal area issue has seen residents oppose the planned use of the land by the GHADC, which had wanted to use it for a Indian Reserve Battalion, solar park and plantation project. Residents had been told to cough up Rs 40,000 for a one time settlement that will allow them two bighas of land per family, an amount that many find impossible to raise.
Sangma received thousands of rupees from the meeting’s attendees for his election campaign, he said, and will apply for a BJP ticket tomorrow. The saffron party has not publicly announced the names of any candidates for the election.
He said that the election is vital in order to save the B Mahal land and he also promised to use 75 per cent of his MLA salary, if elected, to support poor people.