The BJP, which is a partner in the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government on Tuesday made it clear that it will go alone in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls 2019 in Meghalaya.
The saffron party will field candidates in the two Lok Sabha seats in Meghalaya – Tura and Shillong.
The decision in this regard was taken during a top level party meeting chaired by BJP general secretary in-charge of Northeast, Ajay Jamuwal in presence of Meghalaya party’s leaders and workers in Shillong, reports NDTV.
The report quoted state BJP leader and Meghalaya minister AL Hek as telling reporters: “We have decided in principle to contest the Lok Sabha elections from both the parliamentary seats in Meghalaya.
The election committee of the party will be constituted soon for inviting applications from aspiring candidates for the two parliamentary seats in Meghalaya, said Hek.
The report further quoted the Meghalaya BJP leader as saying that a delegation of the party’s state leaders will have a meeting with the national president of the party, Amit Shah to apprise him about the decision taken on Tuesday.
The saffron party has never represented Meghalaya in Lok Sabha.
Hek told the reporters around four-five candidates have already approached the party for tickets to contest the parliamentary polls from Meghalaya, but the decision on the matter will be taken by the state election committee only.
The announcement about BJP contesting the Lok Sabha polls in Meghalaya alone came after the MDA partners failed to decide consensus candidates, said BJP minister.
Hek asserted that they would win both the seats in Meghalaya.
While reacting to a query over its poor performance in 2018 Meghalaya Assembly polls, he said, the BJP which had only two MPs in 1984 now is the biggest party in the country.
Meghalaya BJP president Shibun Lyngdoh said the party earlier waited for the MDA partners to propose the consensus candidates but nothing happened till Tuesday.