The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is focused on serving the people of Gambegre and is unconcerned by the verbal attacks it has been subjected to by the National People’s Party (NPP) ahead of the by-election to fill the Assembly seat’s vacancy.
The BJP is often targeted in Christian majority Meghalaya for being a Hindu nationalist party.
“This has been happening for a long time and the people are smart enough to know the truth. It will not affect the party,” said cabinet minister and senior BJP leader Alexander Laloo Hek. “I am a Christian and a BJP MLA. I am a clear example of why we shouldn’t beat around the bush. It is the choice of the people to decide which party and candidates to vote for.”
Although the NPP and BJP are allies in government, they are rivals for Gambegre, a constituency that was held by the Congress Party’s Saleng Sangma until he became an MP earlier this year.
In the Lok Sabha election, the BJP formally supported the candidacy of the NPP’s Agatha Sangma. However, after her landslide loss to Saleng, NPP members accused BJP members of secretly supporting Saleng.
The NPP is continuing with this line of attack in Gambegre, but Hek is having none of it. “At that time we were supporting the NPP. This time we are contesting on our own. These allegations are not new, they have existed from the beginning,” he said. “The Congress has its own identity, supporters and candidates. It should fight its own elections. The BJP also has its own candidates and supporters and will fight its own battle. There is no collaboration between the BJP and Congress.”
The BJP leader reiterated that the party’s core agenda for the Gambegre by-election is development. “The main issue is development. If they vote for the BJP, we assure you that significant development will follow. The party has introduced many schemes launched by the Prime Minister for the people, and if they want to benefit further, they should vote for the BJP,” Hek said. However, he could not answer a question on whether the constituency actually lacks development or not as he has not visited it for himself.
The BJP state president and several other party leaders are currently in Garo Hills and Hek will also lead the campaign to get the BJP candidate, Tura MDC Bernard Marak, elected.
