Rift in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to light when former Congress-turned-State BJP convenor CC Singpho urged party workers to “stop running after outside BJP leaders” and lend complete support to a local competent leader, who would better represent the interest of the 49th Bordumsa-Diyun Assembly constituency in the ensuing Assembly election in 2019 during a party meeting here.
CC Singpho made this appeal to party workers during the BJP booth committee meeting held at Singpho Heritage Centre at Bordumsa on Tuesday.
The booth level committee meeting, which was called to strengthen integration among party workers and discuss other significant issues like ‘Sampark Abhiyan’, was attended by representative of Gram Shakti Kendra, executive members of Bordumsa Mandal Yuva Morcha, Mahila Morcha and others. Nelang Tangha, Changlang district president of BJP, was the invited guest at the meeting.
The difference of opinions and sharp split among the party workers and office-bearers of the saffron party was clear when Inthem Nongja, the mandal president of Bordumsa -Diyun Yuba Morcha categorically underlined the bewilderment among the voters centering round the leadership issue including the confusion over whom to vote amidst several self-claimed probable candidates of the same party.
Party leaders like Srai Ong Singpho, Mayong Maio and CC Singpho are trying to prepare ground for getting party ticket in the next Assembly polls.
Nonja said, “Unless the people are brought under a common party platform and tie them with a common string, the objective would be a distant cry for the entire party to realize its vision in 2019 general election. We at the grassroots level better know the people’s pulse.”
Mayong Maio, State secretary of the BJP, assured the party workers and office-bearers that the party high command made it clear in its communication that the ticket would be allotted to the right and competent candidate from Bordumsa-Diyun area only.
Speaking in the same vein, Maio was also trying to differentiate between the ‘inside and outside leaders’ of the same party.
He said leaders like Dana Takyo, Samlung Mossang (both being popular BJP leaders) and present incumbent PPA-turned NPP MLA of Bordumsa-Diyun could be outperformed by local candidates in the fray like Sri Ong, CC Singpho and himself.
Further, claiming arbitrary of his position being the Bordumsa mandal president of BJP, Dumai Dumsa categorically told the party workers that they must abide by what he says and he must be communicated by the party workers who have been holding party programmes and meetings with various other BJP workers without his knowledge in the area.
Dumai, while commanding the party workers and office-bearers to take him into confidence during the exercise of their interests, said that he was not prejudiced towards any particular leader but wanted to ensure party discipline and sanctity.
However, reacting strongly, an influential adivasi leader of Dana Takyo faction in Bordumsa termed Dumai of being totalitarian trying to curtail the rights of the workers in supporting leaders of their choice.
“The thin presence of today’s meeting which couldn’t help realizing the objectives of today’s meeting i.e. to discuss and kick-start Sampark Abhiyan and formation of a committee to this effect,” said the Adivasi leader.