Friday, 17 May, 2024
By: Yash Gupte
The political equations in India’s northeastern state of Meghalaya are expected to undergo a change as according to the M Chuba Ao, the party national vice-president and Meghalaya in-charge, the BJP is likely to withdraw its support for the National People's Party (NPP)-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government within a month.
The political equations in India’s northeastern state of Meghalaya are expected to undergo a change as according to the M Chuba Ao, the party national vice-president and Meghalaya in-charge, the BJP is likely to withdraw its support for the National People's Party (NPP)-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government within a month. Ao stated that conversations are taking place at various levels of the party, with a decision on whether to support the MDA administration or not expected within a month. He added that the BJP has been analyzing the reports on the many corruption allegations leveled against the Meghalaya government, and that the CBI will handle the charges once all of the paperwork were obtained.
Despite the fact that the NPP, led by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, is an important constituent of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), relations with the saffron party are deteriorating over a number of issues, particularly the arrest of BJP Meghalaya unit vice-president Bernard N. Marak. On July 25, Marak was detained in Uttar Pradesh for reportedly running a brothel in the West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya. The BJP workers and the leaders protested in retaliation to the Marak’s arrest and the party workers in the West Garo Hills district organized a protest and signature campaign demanding the resignation of the Deputy Commissioner of the district and the Superintendent of Police (SP).
BJP lawmakers who defended Marak stated that the farmhouse raided in the brothel scandal has been in business since 2019. However, they added that the raids were carried out at the location months before the state assembly elections in order to tarnish Marak's image and harm his political ambitions. Earlier this week, at a press conference in Delhi, NPP Chief Conrad K Sangma stated that the party is preparing for the next elections. Sangma stated that the NPP will campaign on its own and will not form an alliance with the BJP or any other political party.
This shows that there is a heated political atmosphere in Meghalaya and the political equations are expected to change as both the BJP and NPP seem to be no longer interested in continuing the alliance. The NPP has also said that they will be contesting the upcoming elections without BJP to which the latter had responded that no party will be able to form a government in Meghalaya without the support of BJP.
Source: Election Commission of India
The Meghalaya state assembly elections of 2018 resulted in a hung assembly with no single party or alliance getting the requisite majority of 31 seats to form the government. Conrad Sangma’s NPP formed the post poll alliance with UDP, BJP, PDF, HSPDP and two independents and formed the government with 39 MLAs. The party with highest number of seats was the INC with 21 seats but despite of that it couldn’t form a government as it couldn’t forge an alliance with other parties in the state. The BJP, though it won only 2 seats brought the NPP and other non-congress political parties under the umbrella of NDA. The BJP had not managed to win any seat in the 2013 assembly elections in the state but emerged victorious on 2 seats in the 2018 elections and is now eyeing the 2023 polls. But with BJP having just two seats, even if it announces the withdrawal of the support to the current government, the government may face no significant danger but there is uncertainty about its effect on the upcoming polls.
