Tura, March 22: The BJP’s ticket aspirants for the Tura and Shillong Lok Sabha seats have received a setback with the party high command deciding not to field any candidates for both seats. Instead, they have chosen to support Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma’s NPP candidates – Agatha K Sangma in Tura and M Ampareen Lyngdoh in Shillong.
The BJP’s National Spokesperson Sambit Patra made the announcement on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “As per the instructions of the Hon’ble National President of @BJP4India, Shri @JPNadda ji, I am pleased to inform that BJP will extend its support to Lok Sabha Candidates of NPP in both the seats of Meghalaya (Shillong and Tura), to NPF in the Outer Manipur Constituency and to NDPP in Nagaland in the ensuing Parliamentary elections 2024.”
The BJP is a coalition partner in the NPP-led MDA 2.0 Government in Meghalaya with its MLA A L Hek serving as a cabinet minister.
This unexpected decision by the BJP leadership will come as a relief to the NPP leadership and their candidates in the two seats, as it eliminates the possibility of another front in the campaign trail even before the battle commences.
Agatha will now face the Congress’ Saleng A Sangma and Trinamool’s Zenith Sangma, while Ampareen will be up against Vincent Pala of the Congress, the VPP, and a candidate from a two-party combined regional alliance.
BJP state president Rikman G Momin stated that the decision was made at an NDA meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi today.
“The PM has decided to honor NDA alliance partners and hence this decision,” he said.
Dismissing any rumors of dissent within the party regarding this decision, Momin emphasized that the state party must adhere to the directive from the central leadership.
He mentioned that a party meeting related to this development would be chaired by him on Saturday.
A total of 11 aspirants had sought the party ticket – 5 for Shillong and 6 in Tura.
Cabinet minister AL Hek was among the five ticket aspirants for the Shillong parliamentary seat, along with advocate Dr Fenela Lyngdoh Nonglait, former state president Ernest Mawrie, BJYM president Mewaker Lyngdoh, and Sumitra Laloo.
For the Tura Lok Sabha seat, the ticket aspirants included sitting Tura GHADC MDC Bernard N Marak, former MLAs – Winnerson D Sangma and KC Boro, former MDC Boston Marak, Riya Sangma, and Thomas Marak.
In regards to the Tura seat, the BJP has significant support in various areas and garnered several thousand votes across multiple constituencies in the last assembly elections, especially in Tura, Tikrikilla, Raksamgre, Phulbari, Mahendranganj, Ampati, Williamnagar, Baghmara, Songsak, Mendipathar, and Dalu.
Its candidates even secured the second position in Tura, Baghmara, Raksamgre, and Barengapara (Dalu) border constituency.
In the GHADC elections, it won the MDC seats of Dalu by Pramod Koch and Tura by Bernard Marak.
This pool of votes, now available, will be a target for every candidate vying to succeed and enter the corridors of power in Delhi.
Read: “Water for Peace”: World Water Day 2024 observed at Tura
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