BJP national secretary Arun Singh’s Meghalaya visit to strengthen party base

By Daiaphira Kharsati

SHILLONG: 

Meghalaya state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Ernest Mawrie has informed that National General Secretary of the BJP Arun Singh will visit the state on July 30 and 31 to strengthen the party.

Mawrie stated Singh's visit will centre around planning and strategies for elections, besides some organisational changes.

BJP leader A.L. Hek, who was dropped from the cabinet on Tuesday, informed that the party is looking for local strategists while making way for the 2023 general elections. 

However, the sudden decision to drop Hek from the cabinet also pique the interest of political observers, who have given mixed views on his exit.

With the BJP strengthening and re-organising the party, the other parties in the state were asked if this was a threat to them.

Senior leader of UDP, Bindo Lanong said, “They have every right to organise and every right to set up candidates. I don’t see any threat. It is up to our voters as to what they have in mind.”

Asked if the voters will shift to the BJP, he was quick to add, “I am not thinking like that. There will be some who will go and there will be some who will not.”

Commenting on whether the UDP will work with the saffron party, he took note of the BJP’s behaviour and said, “No, not with the BJP as of now. The way they behave we are not going to work with them. I mean as a single party, suppose the BJP leads the government here, I am telling you we are not going.”

However, he maintained that the situation would be different if it was a coalition.

“But the MDA coalition partner like what we have today is a different matter. We cannot decide because the NPP is the leader and what can we do? Suppose we lead the government, then we will see whether we accept the BJP or not,” Lanong said.

Senior Congress leader Ampareen Lyngdoh said, “I don’t see that there is any preparation of the BJP. The very fact that a senior minister (A.L.Hek) was dropped….I don’t know if Bah Hek is happy and I don’t know whether he would prefer to take the post of president.”

Lyngdoh dismissed any threat to Congress stating that the party is also doing its preparation for the upcoming election.

(Edited by Shankar Turha)

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