Meghalaya: State BJP slams ally NPP ahead of 2023 assembly polls

BJP and NPP ties started souring after Meghalaya police arrested Bernard N Marak, a BJP leader in Garo Hills on sexual abuse charges

Despite being an ally since 2018, BJP in Meghalaya have launched an attack on the National People's Party (NPP) ahead of Assembly elections alleging that Conrad Sangma-led government failed to deliver in the past four-and-half years.

BJP is a minor ally in the NPP-led government with two MLAs. But the saffron party now has set the target to unseat NPP in the Assembly polls slated early next year saying that people want a BJP-led government for "real development."

"People have experienced the pro-people policies of the BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the past eight years.

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While neighbouring states under BJP government have raced ahead in terms of development, the people of Meghalaya have been denied these benefits because of the corruption, lack of policies, intent, and incompetence of various governments that have already mis-governed Meghalaya," said a statement issued by Meghalaya unit of BJP recently.

The BJP also slammed the Sangma government alleging his failure to maintain law and order following the killing of five villagers at Mukroh in West Jaintia Hills district recently, due to firing by a team of Assam police and forest guards.

The relation between BJP and NPP started souring in July when Meghalaya police arrested Bernard N Marak, a leader of BJP in Garo Hills on charges of sexual abuse of children and running a "brothel." Marak, who also was granted bail on November 15 after more than 45 days in judicial custody, also slammed the Chief Minister and the NPP.

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Ernest Mawrie, president of BJP's Meghalaya unit also criticised the launch of several projects recently saying that it is being done to hoodwink people. "The NPP is aware of its declining popularity and rising anger among the people against them. The NPP is well aware of the fact that they have done nothing in the last four and half years for the people. They know that the people are ready to vote them out. And just like the drowning Congress in 2014 (before Lok Sabha elections), the drowning NPP is now on an inauguration and foundation stone laying spree."

Although BJP has stepped up its ante against the NPP, the Assembly elections in Meghalaya is likely to be a fight between the NPP and Trinamool Congress, which emerged as the biggest Opposition party after 12 Congress MLAs joined the Mamta Banerjee-led party last year.

Former CM Mukul Sangma leads the TMC MLAs in the Assembly. To add more teeth to the party's preparedness for the Assembly elections, TMC supremo Mamta Banerjee will visit Meghalaya on December 12 and 13.