The state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made its desire to quit the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government clear but the ball is in the central party’s court.
This was stated by Pynthorumkhrah legislator – one of the BJP’s two in the Assembly – AL Hek and state party president Ernest Mawrie today.
“In the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) our Prime Minister is the chairman and all these decisions will come from the centre. We have already sent feedback to the central leaders and they will give us the direction,” Mawrie said.
Hek, meanwhile, said the direction will come at the “appropriate time”.
With just two members, the BJP alone cannot bring down the MDA. However, the act would be more important in terms of symbolism as Meghalaya will, in a few months’ time, go to the polls.
There have been strong suggestions that not all state BJP leaders want to pull out of the MDA, least of all South Shillong MLA Sanbor Shullai, who would lose his cabinet seat as a result.
Both Mawrie and Hek denied that there are divisions within the BJP on the matter, however. Mawrie also informed that, on Monday, the BJP’s joint coordinator for the North East, Rituraj Sinha, will visit to discuss organisational aspects.
The BJP member in charge of Meghalaya, M Chuba Ao, had also said earlier this month that the party would remove itself from the MDA. Although part of the coalition, the BJP has made plenty of noise about corruption, illegal coal mining and other issues. The state BJP has also been incensed by the arrest of state vice-president and Tura MDC Bernard Marak on suspicion that a property belonging to him was being used for immoral purposes.
Meanwhile, on the subject of the coming elections, the BJP is happy with the number of people joining the party and looking for tickets but is unhappy about some of the actions their ambitions have led them to.
North Shillong has been of particular focus, with four party hopefuls in the fray (now reduced to three after JA Lyngdoh quit the BJP). Last week, two of the aspirants, Martamlin Pyrbot and Michael Kharsyntiew took it upon themselves to address the media without first clearing it with the party.
Unsurprisingly, the BJP has taken a dim view of this.
“They gave a press briefing on behalf of the party. This is very wrong as they were not authorised to do so,” Mawrie said.
On the other hand, Hek said that it is a good sign for the party that “everybody wants to contest on a BJP ticket”.
