BJP not to pull out of MDA Govt, says Congress has accepted its ideology

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaFebruary 11, 2022

BJP in-charge Meghalaya Dr Chuba Ao on Friday said that the question of pulling out of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government does not arise as he termed the recent entry of the five Congress legislators as accepting the saffron party’s ideology.

“We cannot pull out (of the MDA government) it is out of the question,” Dr Ao told reporters after a party meeting to discuss the political development in the state.

The meeting, which was attended by the two legislators and core committee members, however resolved to write a letter to the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma seeking clarification on his decision to accept the support extended by the Congress legislators to the MDA government.

BJP state president Ernest Mawrie informed that the party being a coalition partner of the MDA government was not informed about the decision.

“Therefore, we have decided to write an official letter to the chief minister on Monday, seeking his clarification on the joining of the Congress MLAs with the MDA government,” he said adding “we have already sent feedback to our central leaders in Delhi and we are waiting for their reply.”

If the BJP is willing to work with the Congress in Meghalaya, Dr Ao however said that not BJP but it is the Congress which is willing to work with the BJP after knowing fully well that BJP is part of the MDA government.  

“Knowingly they (Congress MLAs) came to support the government, they understood that they can work with us. It is not that we are inviting them or we are calling them,” he said.

Also Read | 5 Congress MLAs likely to be suspended for supporting BJP backed MDA Govt

The BJP leader further alleged that Congress has succumbed by accepting the BJP’s ideology.

“They may be elected from the Congress but they have accepted our common minimum program that is why they have come. They have accepted our ideology. If they have not accepted they would not have come,” he said.

“The NPP, BJP, HSPDP, PDF, UDP have set up an understanding that we will run a particular way of government so any political party like I don’t know tomorrow TMC may also support if they accept our ideology,” Dr Ao added.

Stating that BJP’s agenda is Congress-mukt, he said there is no harm in them joining the MDA government as the Congress-mukt Meghalaya is already in the process. He added that the Congress has been reduced to zero in Meghalaya with the joining of the five legislators.

“Their organization structure has totally collapsed. (Their MLAs) have to either go to BJP or NPP,” he said, adding that the five legislators have decided to support the MDA government because they understand that they cannot survive with the Congress.

With the Congress likely to take action against the five legislators, the BJP leader however said that the MLAs have done lots of exercise before taking the decision to support the MDA government without the consent of their party leadership.

When asked, Dr Ao said that the party has no problem with the Congress legislators joining the ruling alliance but only felt that the chief minister should have informed the coalition partners about the development.

“(We) have decided to write a letter as it should be on official record as we are a party and we should have every right to know what is going on in the government. That is why we have to write and after that what kind of reply will come that we do not know,” he said.