Guwahati: More sitting MLAs from Meghalaya are gearing up to join the BJP?
Three ex- Meghalaya MLAs and one sitting MLA on Wednesday evening met Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati.
After the meeting H M Shangpliang, the ex-MLA from Mawsynram, who tendered his resignation from Trinamool Congress on Tuesday said they met Himanta Biswa Sarma to finalise the formalities to join the BJP.
Meghalaya BJP president Ernest Mawrie, former minister A.L. Hek and BJP minister Sainbor Shullai were also in Guwahati on Wednesday to meet the Assam chief minister.
In addition to Shangliang, two ex-NPP MLAs who resigned on Tuesday – Benedic R Marak and Ferlin CA Sangma and independent MLA Samuel M Sangma also met Sarma.
Shangpliang said two more politicians (ex-MDCs) – Dipul Marak and Sukhram Sangma from Garo hills also met Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday, and they expressed their desire to join the BJP.
“More and more politicians from Meghalaya are likely to join the BJP,” Shangpliang said, adding that their formal joining ceremony would be held after the Gujarat election in New Delhi.
Senior Guwahati-based journalist Atanu Bhuyan tweeted that seven NPP MLAs met Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma with the request to join the BJP.
7-MLAs of Meghalaya’s NPP meets CM @himantabiswa in Guwahati – expected to soon join BJP.
— atanu bhuyan (@atanubhuyan) November 30, 2022
Bhuyan, who is reportedly very close to the Assam CM, did not name the NPP MLAs. Later he tweeted again that 3-4 NPP MLAs are joining the BJP very soon.
Even Assam minister Ashok Singhal endorsed Atanu Bhuyan’s claim as “true”.
— Ashok Singhal (Modi Ka Parivar) (@TheAshokSinghal) November 30, 2022
However, NPP leaders in Shillong are tight-lipped, and have not commented neither on Bhuyan nor on Singhal’s tweets.
It is surprising as to why the BJP is eyeing to whisk away the NPP members (including the MLAs) to the saffron fold. The NPP is a partner of BJP, both at the Centre as well as in Meghalaya.
