In a major political development in Meghalaya, three legislators, including two of the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) and one from the opposition Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday tendered their resignation before Assembly Speaker Methbah Lyngdoh and are set to join the BJP.
Benedic R. Marak and Ferlin C.A. Sangma of the NPP and Himalaya Muktan Shangpliang of TMC are expected to formally join the saffron party on December 7 at New Delhi in presence of BJP president, J.P.Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Prior to the resignation of the two NPP legislators, two senior NPP leaders which include former Chief Executive Member of Garo Hill Autonomous District Council (GHADC), Dipul Marak and former Executive Member of GHADC Sukharam Sangma, senior advocate V.G.K.Kynta and others joined the BJP at the State party’s headquarters here.
BJP National Secretary Rituraj Sinha said the party would be inducting many more members till December 20
“They have tendered their resignation as members of the Assembly. However, I am in the process of accepting their resignation,” Assembly Speaker Lyngdoh told UNI.
Emerging from the Speaker’s chamber, Shangpliang flanked by Sangma and Marak, said they have given up their membership of the state assembly as they were impressed by the development works undertaken by the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“All three of us would be joining the BJP and the intention of joining the party is that the three of us have one mind and that is the development of the state,” Shangpliang told reporters.
“BJP is a party for development and therefore, we have nothing but development so we need development for the state and therefore we are all joining together in the BJP,” he added.
Refusing to point fingers at the failure of the MDA coalition, of which the BJP is one of the constituents, Shangpliang said, “Time will come when we are in the election campaign, that time we will bring the points to the people.
The effective strength of the Meghalaya Assembly would be reduced to 57 once the Speaker accepts the resignations.
Once the Speaker accepts their resignations, the strength of the NPP would be reduced to 21 MLAs while the TMC to 11 in the 60-member House.
Elections to the 60-member House Meghalaya Assembly are scheduled to be held in February next year. UNI RRK SSP
