SHILLONG, FEB 5: Former minister Manas Chaudhuri today quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a mark of protest against its arbitrary decision to allot the party ticket to former Assembly’s deputy speaker Sanbor Shullai from South Shillong constituency.
The former two-time legislator, also claimed that he has been getting offers from many political parties including the ruling Congress but however is yet to take call on the matter.
“We are totally disillusioned with this kind of arbitrary decision taken by the BJP’s high command. Therefore, I have decided to put in my papers and I have resigned from the party,” Manas told journalists after submitting his resignation to BJP state president.
The BJP, which announced its first list of 45 candidates recently, had denied ticket to Manas and instead given the same to the former sitting MLA Shullai, who had joined the party much later to him.
In protest, he said that along with him, a large number of people right from the mandal down to the booth level have also resigned in view that the BJP’s deeds and words are not matching.
“The best protest is to say we severe our ties with the BJP we are very certain about one thing is that the people of Meghalaya are up in arms against few things that is happening in the country,” he said.
Stating with his resigning, the BJP in South Shillong is a closed chapter, Manas said that no matter how much money they use, the people have made up their mind as they are not ready to compromise with eating habits and religious beliefs.
He also added that the BJP has an uphill task of convincing the people that they are not against beef or against Christian. “We as members had tried but I tell you it is very difficult for people to buy our arguments because lots of it is shallow it doesn’t sell,” he added.
According to him, Meghalaya is Christian majority state and the Christian the tribes feel very much threaten by what is happening in the rest of the country.
Asked, Manas said that he had joined the BJP on the request from the public and mainly on the request to BJP’s top leaders who had even given the green signal to him to go ahead and work for South Shillong which he did steadfastly.
“But instead of me they have chosen sitting MLA. To me it is nothing personal whether they give me the ticket or how I serve the country is different but since I got an assurance from top leaders of the party that ticket will be given to me until last moment through a back door entry the sitting MLA got ticket and created an impression that BJP can win through the sitting MLA. This is very wrong according to me as this is not the culture we want,” he said.
Stating that BJP has been campaigning against the sitting MLA for the wrong things he had done in the last five years, he however said, “Can you imagine one and a half year we have been canvassing that this is the man who should be voted out and suddenly the leadership tells he is the chosen candidate, he is the cleanest candidate, and also what they called winnable candidate.”
Asserting that Meghalaya need people who will think for the state and not just win elections, he said, “We are not here to collect gifts from the MLA but we are here to build our state.”
Reacting to a query whether he would be joining the ruling Congress, the former minister however said that situation for him at the moment is like a twilight zone and needs for a lot of interaction and internal soul searching.
“Three parties (LJP, RPI and INC) have offered, so let me see I will talk to my people,” he said.
Recalling the time when he was with the Congress party, Manas regretted the fact that Congress had failed to make use of him.
“Congress did not make use of me even though it could have been useful as a I am not a dump man. So I left the party,” he said while informing that he would surely take a call on the matter by tomorrow.
By Our Reporter
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