SHILLONG, JAN 15: The BJP Meghalaya unit today said it is expecting more sitting legislators to join its fold ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls with the party still in the process of negotiating with them.
“We are negotiating with some MLAs. But we cannot disclose their names at the moment,” the BJP’s Election Campaign Committee, convener Alexander L Hek told reporters after a meeting held here on Monday.
Not willing to disclose from which parties these legislators belonged to, Hek however informed that the party was in talks with four to five sitting MLAs.
Hek, a former Congress minister along with former Assembly’s deputy speaker Sanbor Shullai and two independent legislators from Jaintia Hills region – Robinus Syngkon and Justine Dkhar had earlier this month joined the BJP.
Claiming that the party is all set to face the upcoming polls, the former BJP state president said, “Most probably we are contesting in all 60 seats and we are also confident to lead the new government in the state.”
Asked, Hek informed that the list of candidates will be declared only after the dates for the elections are announced by the Election Commission of India.
Member of the election campaign committee, Sanbor Shullai said that during interactions with people it was felt that they want change in the state.
“We have full faith and confidence under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP should be given a chance to rule the state,” Shullai said.
On the perception that the BJP is a communal party, Hek said those cases of assault on Christians and other minorities in other parts of the country were isolated in nature.
He pointed out to incidents in the state where a crematorium of the Seng Khasi in Mylliem was vandalized and in Manipur a village dominated by the Baptist Church did not allow a Catholic family to bury its dead.
On the other hand, Shullai said that in the past, the BJP has had three legislators in the Assembly and yet the state was very peaceful.
“Where is the harm, we were living in peace and we will continue to do so,” he said.
Earlier today, leaders and workers of the BJP mandal in Pynthorumkrah constituency quit the party and joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) as a mark of protest against Hek’s return citing it was done without informing the mandal.
Asked, Hek said, “I had never bulldozed my way back to the party. It was the party who called me back and now we are here to serve the people better.”
Whether this will have any impact in the upcoming elections, the former Pynthorumkhrah MLA said, “I assure you that we are winning with a comfortable majority.”
Adding to this, Shullai said that the two representatives from South Shillong and Pynthorumkhrah can be declared as winning candidates.
By Our Reporter
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