National People’s Party (NPP) President Conrad K Sangma today met with leaders and party members of the State BJP, who are extending their support to the party in the Lok Sabha elections.
Sangma told reporters after the meeting held at Pinewood Hotel that during the meeting, members of the Congress and the Trinamool Congress has also extended their support to the NPP candidates.
“I have asked the BJP leaders to call their karyakartas and their different mandal presidents and frontal organisation heads and (during the meeting) I expressed my gratitude for their support to our candidates and requested them to work hard so that the NDA candidates win,” he said.
Sangma also informed that during the meeting there were discussions on different ways and means to move forward.
The BJP’s decision not to field any candidates for the MP elections both from Shillong and Tura constituencies had led to resentment in the saffron party with the resignation of Dipul Marak as the vice president. However, he later joined the NPP.
Sangma disagreed and said, “All they said was that instead of supporting indirectly we will be happy to come directly and join (NPP). This is not discontentment in the BJP. So that is a wrong assessment because whoever has left is still with the NPP which is an NDA ally,” Sangma said.
He said such move is part of politics and in such a situation one cannot only see from “a political point of view but should be seen from a national scenario.”
“The NDA is working as a team to ensure that we come out victorious in this election and that is the larger message,” Sangma said.
Meanwhile, State BJP President Rikman Momin said that during the meeting with Sangma the karyakartas of the party will support the NDA candidates in the state.
Momin said that people of the country want Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister again.
On the demand from within the BJP for him to quit as president after the party’s decision, he said that such voices will emerge but it was a central decision and that he cannot defy it. “It is upto the central leaders’ decision (to quit or not). If I am supposed to quit I will do so,” Momin said.
Chief spokesperson Mariahom Kharkrang added that only a few disgruntled elements of the party are demanding Momin’s resignation.
Irked by media reports, Kharkrang said that if the press comes up with such reports next time they should name those BJP workers who give such press statements.
The chief spokesperson of the BJP said that the state president will now go to Garo Hills and explain the stand of the saffron party on supporting the NPP.
