BJP’s Meghalaya in-charge M Chuba Ao on Wednesday said the party will announce its candidate list for the upcoming assembly polls on February 2.
The state election committee will meet on January 27 to discuss the probable candidates for the forthcoming polls.
“On 27th we will have the state election committee meeting, after that we will scrutinise, and after that we will take it to Delhi where on the 30th or 31st we will have a meeting. On the 2nd of February we will announce the candidate list,” he said.
Asked about the delay when most parties have already announced their candidates and TMC has also released its manifesto, he said, “BJP always chooses the last month because there are a lot of candidates who do not want to wait to let them go, who bothers for them. Our system is different from others.”
Recently, BJP state president Ernest Mawrie said a survey has indicated that the party will win 10-15 seats in the coming elections. Mawrie informed that the party is fielding candidates from all the 60 constituencies.
The state BJP chief also informed that over 123 people have applied for tickets from the party. He said there are also constituencies with multiple aspirants like Dalu with four and Mahendraganj with six.
Meghalaya and Nagaland will have voting on February 27 while Tripura goes to the polls on February 16; the saffron party is yet to announce its candidates.
The BJP Meghalaya in-charge also informed that the drafting of the manifesto is going on and it will take one more week.
Meanwhile, BL Santhosh, BJP general secretary (organisation) on Wednesday chaired the party’s core committee and election management committee meeting at Hotel Orkid Polo Tower, Tura.
During his two-day visit, the strategist of the saffron outfit met the party’s candidates and various mandal heads and office-bearers.
Santhosh visited Tura to formulate the election roadmap for Garo Hills. The meeting was attended by senior leaders, state unit president Ernest Mawrie and state prabhari (in-charge) M Chuba Ao.
Santhosh also met the BJP’s aspiring candidates from Garo Hills.
During the meeting with party members, he said whoever wanted to politically decimate BJP vice president and South Tura MDC, Bernard Marak, should be taught the same lesson.
Stating that political wars should be fought politically and should not be taken to personal level to harm somebody’s life, Santhosh compared the incident of Bernard Marak, who was embroiled in a ‘brothel case’, with Amit Shah, and said, “In 2010-11, the Congress party tried to do the same to Amit Shah. They even sent him to jail. Now you know where Amit Shah is and where these people that tried to target him are. I assure you that in the same way, whoever tried to decimate Marak, should be taught the same lesson, whoever it may be.”
He asked the BJP volunteers, “Should we not take revenge? We will take revenge democratically, politically this election.”
In a clash of the Titans, Meghalaya BJP vice president Bernard Marak, who has been released from jail on bail, will contest the upcoming elections against chief minister Conrad Sangma from South Tura constituency.
Bernard has been vocal in highlighting the irregularities of the NPP-led MDA government, where BJP is also a partner.
Known to be a talent spotter, troubleshooter, and organisation builder, BL Santhosh wears many hats with equal ease. However, for Meghalaya, his skills in finding winnable factors during the elections will prove important.
With just a month left for the polls, Santhosh has been tasked to mend the party unit which has been in the news for the wrong reasons. According to sources, during the meeting, there was a discussion on the strategies for the elections and campaigning.
As many as three legislators from Garo Hills including one independent, joined the BJP in December. Two of them were from the ruling NPP. Following this big catch, the BJP is pushing hard to gain a few seats in Garo Hills. Four-time MLA Samuel Sangma is an independent legislator from Baghmara constituency and is considered a heavyweight. Benedict Marak (Raksamgre) and Fairlene Sangma (Selsella), MLAs from NPP, have upheld the hopes of the saffron party to make space in Garo Hills.
TMC legislator from Mawsynram (East Khasi Hills) Himalaya M Shangpliang also joined the BJP.
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