Shillong, Nov 9: Several sitting MLAs and MDCs in Meghalaya have approached the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with the intention of joining it, state party president Rikman Momin has said.
However, Momin said that a decision on their joining will be taken after a crucial meeting on November 15 with central party leaders.
The BJP’s elected strength has grown in recent weeks with the joining of eight MLAs formerly from the United Democratic Party (UDP) and an independent MDC from Jaintia Hills. The UDP legislators were ostensibly swayed by the BJP’s promises to pass measures on four major demands – 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 Iew Mawlong.
Momin stated that a coordination committee for all four issues headed by a sitting MLA will be announced after returning from Delhi.
The central team shall coordinate with the respective MLAs of the coordination committee so that the issues can get resolved at the earliest. He also revealed that the state BJP will play a crucial role in resolving the issues with the active support of the BJP MLAs.
The joining of the UDP MLAs has sped up the process, Momin asserted. “We can clearly see how keenly the Centre is taking us after the numbers have increased. The positive effects also could be seen after the coal committee and JPC (joint parliamentary committee) on the FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act amendment) visited Shillong following the surge in BJP numbers in the state,” he said.
“We will ensure that the interest of Christian institutions in the state will be strongly and rightly preserved. We will meet the JPC chairman in Delhi and apprise him of our state party’s stand and suggest the most suited solution to resolve the problems. The issue cannot be resolved without the intervention of the state party,” Momin added.
He said people should understand that if they want more issues to be solved and development to be fast tracked, the people have to give the BJP a clear majority in the Assembly and then see the positive difference it makes to the state and its people.
