All out to make the lotus bloom in the cloud-shrouded sapphire Meghalaya, BJP’s “campaign war” will be led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Party President Amit Shah and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
The BJP is desperate to register victory in the tribal-dominated hill state of Meghalaya. At present, it does not have a single MLA in the 60-member legislative assembly. The state assembly election is scheduled on February 27 in the state.
The BJP, which is already ruling Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, is now eyeing to form government in Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura. Despite several odds in Meghalaya, the BJP has resorted to high-pitch holler to draw attention of the voters.
“We are confident that with blessings of the senior party leaders like Modiji, Amit Shahji and Rajnath Singhji, our party can perform well in Meghalaya,” Shibun Lyngdoh, the State President of BJP said, adding that the party is confident of leading the new coalition in Meghalaya.
All the three top BJP leaders are likely to address multiple election meetings across the length and breadth of Meghalaya to woo support of the people. The saffron party’s image in the Christian-dominated state has been negative and is branded as “anti-Christian”.
Amit Shah on Friday morning began the “campaign war” with his first election meeting at Jowai, the district headquarters of West Jaintia hills, followed by another election rally at the Malki ground in Shillong. On January 6, Shah had campaigned for BJP candidate KC Boro at Tikrikilla in the Rabha-dominated area of West Garo hills district.
Earlier, Modi had set the election campaigning bugle in Meghalaya on December 16 at the Polo Ground in Shillong. He had said 15 years of the Congress rule had ruined Meghalaya. “The wave for change, which began with the Assam elections, has now reached Meghalaya,” Modi said at the meeting held two months ago.
BJP leaders told Northeast Now that Modi is likely to campaign in Phulbari in West Garo Hills on February 21. The election meeting in the Muslim-dominated constituency is crucial for the saffron party as Congress has fielded the Speaker of Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, Abu Taher Mondal.
Modi is likely to address a couple of election rallies in the Khasi and Jaintia hills as well, the BJP leaders claimed. “We are giving final shape to the campaign schedule on the basis of availability of the top leaders of the party,” Lyngdoh said.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to campaign in some of the key constituencies in Garo hills. He is expected to reach Tura on February 19 to campaign for the BJP candidate of the prestigious South Tura Assembly seat, Billykid A Sangma. Former Union Minister Agatha Sangma of NPP is also contesting from the constituency.
The BJP, which is open to forging a post-poll alliance with the “friendly parties” like the NPP, UDP and HSPDP, has gone all out against the Congress government led by Mukul Sangma. The Congress government has been branded as the “most corrupt” by the BJP.
Either Modi or Rajnath Singh is also likely to address one election rally at Ampati (CM Mukul Sangma’s constituency) to campaign for the BJP candidate Bokul Hajong. Worried with the BJP’s tirade against him, Sangma is also contesting from Songsak constituency.
