No word from BJP’s Hima Shangpliang about joining Meghalaya NPP

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Aug 30: BJP State President Ernest Mawrie today said the party is yet to receive any official communication from the former Mawsynram legislator and party spokesperson Himalaya M Shangpliang about his decision to join the ruling National People’s Party (NPP).

“We have not received any official communication from Himalaya Shangpliang that he is planning or has decided to leave the party,” Mawrie said.

He said the party only came to know about the development from media reports on the statement made by deputy chief minister and NPP leader Sniawbhalang Dhar confirming that Shangpliang had approached the NPP for a ticket from the Shillong Parliamentary seat.

Mawrie however said that this was despite the fact that the BJP had done a lot of good things for Shangpliang.

“He has contested from Mawsynram from BJP ticket (in 2023 Assembly polls) and we have helped him a lot financially, physically and you have seen lots of ministers also went to his constituency to campaign for him. We have spent our time trying our best to make him win from the BJP but it is the mandate of the people, who did not support him to be BJP MLA from Mawsynram constituency.

On top of that, just after the election, we have appointed him as a spokesperson of the party and regarding the job reservation policy, we have nominated him as the chairman of that committee. So we have given him a lot of responsibility and now he has to make his own decision as we cannot bind or say you don’t leave the party, you stay with the party,” he stated.

The BJP state president said that Shanpgliang had discussed with him several times expressing his keen interest in contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the party ticket.

“However, I told him that yes when the time comes, we will recommend your name and some other names as we have not decided till today,” he said.

Mawrie further revealed that Shangpliang had also requested him to talk to coalition partners for fielding a common MDA candidate for the upcoming LS polls.

“And one condition, he verbally requested me that as president of the party, if you can have a dialogue or if you can have a discussion with the biggest party in the coalition, that this time let us field an MDA candidate. So that condition I cannot decide as the central leadership will have to decide as we have to call a meeting of all the MDA partners and as a state president I don’t have any authority to decide on that. I told him that so it ended there,” he said.

Stating that the BJP is yet to decide on the candidates for both Shillong and Tura parliamentary seats, Mawrie however said, “Shangpliang can come and meet with the party leaders, MLAs and incharge of Meghalaya and North East, if he has any grievances. He has to come and sit with us.”

He added in fact, the party had also received information from mandal people in Mawsynram that they are going to quit the BJP and join the NPP adding “Then again yesterday, it was a big statement given by the leader of the NPP.”

“As you know, NPP is part of NDA so we have not discussed it yet. Maybe from the Centre they will give a call to me and ask me about this and they may direct me to have a cordial discussion with the MDA partners,” he said.

The BJP leader said that the party in a meeting chaired by the national general secretary (organization) BL Santosh in Guwahati had decided to strengthen the party in the 25 seats in the NE region ahead of the LS polls.

“We have discussed that there are a total 25 seats of Lok Sabha in the NE. So we have decided to strengthen the party and decide on the 25 seats. For us it counts. When we have numbers of the Lok Sabha MP then our strength will be increased,” he said.

He further informed that the central leadership had entrusted all union ministers to also decide on the potential candidates for the 25 NE seats including two from Meghalaya.

“From September 15 onwards, the union minister will come and schedule the meeting to check the strength of the organization and to see whether we have potential candidates. So definitely we are the biggest political party in the world and India so we are preparing for the election,” he added.

Mawrie eyes Lok Sabha seat

Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 4: BJP state President Ernest Mawrie has stated that he is ready to be the candidate of the party from the Shillong parliamentary seat for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state.

“As president of the party, if the party decides, I am ready to be the candidate of the party for the Lok Sabha election from the Shillong seat. I will not deny the decision of the party,” Mawrie told reporters today.

He however informed that the party is yet to discuss the candidates for the two Lok Sabha seats in the state while reacting to reports that top leaders including M Kharkrang and HM Shangpliang are vying for the party ticket for the election.

The party has formed the Lok Sabha Prabhas and it will be headed by the state general secretary GC Nongbet as convener and there will be three co-conveners.

“Our main intention is to strengthen the party. The Lok Sabha Prabhas will go to each and every constituency to strengthen the organization,” he said.

Mawrie said it is too early now to identify the candidates since the party has one year to prepare adding “But we will look for winnable candidates as we are serious to win in both the seats – Shillong and Tura.”

Ao takes diplomatic stance on ‘fighting corruption’

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 7: The BJP national vice president and Meghalaya In-charge Dr M Chuba Ao remained tight-lipped regarding the party’s stand to fight against corruption.

On BJP to go ahead with its decision to investigate all cases of corruption against the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA-I) government, Dr Ao said, “Now, we are not talking about corruption. Let us form the government after that we will work and you will see how smoothly we run the government.”

He said the allegations of corruption were made during election time. “They also make allegations against our political party (that it is a) Hindu party and Hindutva”.

He however said there is no proof of the allegations of corruption. “We will stick to that only but we will work and we will come to know what is there. We also promise that we will not do such kinds of things,” Dr Ao said.

Whether he meant to say there was no corruption at all in the MDA-I government, the BJP leader however said, “I can’t say because at that time we were not so much acquainted with each other it is only we form the government to take the numbers but this time we are much more united.”

Hek, Shullai to share cabinet berth

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 7: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided that the cabinet berth will be shared between the two of its MLAs – Alexander Laloo Hek and Sanbor Shullai.

The decision came a day before Hek was sworn in as cabinet minister in the Conrad K Sangma-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA-2) government.

In a letter to the NPP Chief, the BJP state president Ernest Mawrie said, “The party and its MLAs have symbiotically agreed to allow AL Hek to hold the berth for the first two and a half years which will end on August 7, 2025, following which Sanbor Shullai will hold the cabinet berth for the remaining term. Both the MLAs are hereby asked to respect and abide by the decision of the party and work mutually to ensure good governance and also to ensure check and balance.”

“Thus, I request your esteemed office to kindly honour the decision of the party and ensure both the MLAs get equal opportunity considering their seniority and support to your government,” he added.

BJP Meghalaya In-charge Dr M Chuba Ao along with Hek and Shullai were also signatories of the letter submitted to the NPP chief.

After attending the swearing-in ceremony of the 12-member council of ministers, Shullai told reporters that this time an official agreement to share the cabinet berth between the two MLAs was made in the presence of the party leaders unlike in the last term which was only a “verbal agreement”.

“Besides the chief minister, the letter was also sent to the BJP national president JP Nadda and general secretary Rituraj Sinha,” he said.

Shullai said he does not have any problem waiting for his turn to take over as cabinet minister after 2 and a half years.

On his role in the government, the former cabinet minister said, “It will depend on the prerogative of the chief minister. I will accept anything for the interest of the people of my constituency.”