With the National People’s Party (NPP) declaring that it would contest the 2023 Meghalaya Assembly elections on its own, the BJP is contemplating pulling out of the alliance with the regional party.
Speaking to The Indian ExpressBJP in-charge for Meghalaya M Chuba Ao confirmed that the party is holding discussions along these lines, adding that the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government had become very corrupt.
The move poses no immediate threat to the MDA government, which has the backing of 48 MLAs in the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly, including 23 of the NPP and two of the BJP.
The BJP’s decision is being linked to the NPP’s growing pan-Northeast ambitions under its leader Conrad Sangma. It contested this year’s Manipur elections on its own – after helping the BJP form government in the state in 2017 — and improved its vote share. It has plans for Nagaland next, and already has some presence in Arunachal Pradesh – both states ruled by the BJP.
Despite being in alliance with the BJP, the NPP has taken a stand contrary to it on issues concerning the region, such as the controversial AFSPA and Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
The BJP disenchantment with the NPP also follows the arrest of its vice-president Bernand N Marak on charges of extortion and running a sex racket.
BJP Meghalaya leader Ao said the party would take a call on continuing in the MDA government in a month. Indicating what was coming, he added that both its MLAs in the state Assembly favoured pulling out of the government, while the party’s state executive committee had given consent to the proposal last month.
“There is a lot of corruption in the MDA government. If we continue with them, people will blame us, saying we were part of the corruption. The BJP has zero tolerance to corruption,” Ao said, adding that Central investigative agencies could be brought in to “unearth truth” about the corruption if needed.
Raising the NPP’s announcement that it would contest elections alone next year, he added they would go to Delhi soon to discuss the matter with BJP president J P Nadda.
BJP national general secretary (organization) B L Santhosh has been on a two-day visit to the state, returning on Sunday.
While the BJP has a minor position in the MDA alliance, Ao claimed people support the party and a government could not be formed in Meghalaya without the support of the BJP. He accused the NPP of running the government at the cost of the BJP.