BJP’s top leadership will communicate if it has any concerns, says Sangma

Chief minister Conrad K Sangma has expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s top leadership will communicate with him if it has any concerns days after the party’s state in charge Chuba Ao said they were likely to withdraw support to the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government within a month.

He called Ao’s statement personal and added it should not be taken as BJP’s official stand. Sangma added when Ao made it, there was nobody who backed him. He referred to Ao’s veiled threat related to central agencies going after his government over alleged corruption and said they have been working together. “If one is going to allege that MDA is involved in all these things, they are forgetting that they are pointing three fingers at themselves…,” he said on Wednesday.

Sangma said they have done everything as per procedures and in a proper, clean, and transparent manner. He added Ao’s statement indicated he has some personal agenda and grudge. “We keep seeing him making a lot of statements…[but his] own party leaders do not agree…”

Sangma, whose National People’s Party (NPP) leads the six-party MDA that includes the BJP, said they have stuck together and always tried to resolve their differences. “[BJP]…may [have] concerns…we keep discussing with them and trying to [address] the concerns…as the chairman of the MDA, it is my responsibility to ensure that we try to work together…”

He said he would leave it to an individual party whether to withdraw support from his government. “We cannot stop them and tell them they must be here as it is purely their decision… We have worked with many coalition partners, we respect them even. We will stick to our coalition dharma, ensure we give them space, independence…”

He said NPP has never had a pre-poll alliance. “When we formed the government in 2018, we contested separately.” He added that pre-poll alliances do not fit into NPP’s scheme of things.

MDA has 46 members in the 60-member Meghalaya assembly. NPP has 23 lawmakers, BJP two, and the remaining allies the rest. The Opposition Trinamool Congress has 12 members.