With just five months left for the Assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which shares power with the National People’s Party (NPP) in Meghalaya has threatened to withdraw support following the spate of allegations against the Conrad Sangma government.
Moreover, the BJP begins to dig out the documentary evidence on the scams against the NPP-led government and if found all the allegations are true, the party vouches to send the Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation after the NPP.
BJP’s Meghalaya in-charge, M Chuba Ao said, “…These people (NPP) they are running at the cost of us (BJP), it’s a very important we are not running our government at the cost of them (NPP). We are also planning, let us see within one month, what we do we may withdraw support (from the Government) also discussion is going on.”
The matter was discussed in the meeting of the state BJP chaired by BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh on Saturday.
Elaborating further Dr Aao said the decision will however, be made after discussion with BJP National President JP Nadda. “We may withdraw support but we will have discussion it with the national president first. “
“Once the party makes a decision to withdraw support it would chalk out its strategy for its way ahead by explaining to the people why it has withdrawn its support,” he informed.
The Conrad Sangma-led government has the support of 43 legislators including the speaker. Beside this, there are five suspended Congress legislators also supporting the Government taking it to a comfortable 48. The opposition Trinamool Congress has 12 members. The NPP has already announced to contest the Assembly elections alone.
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The BJP’s withdrawal of support from the government would not pose an immediate threat to the government as the BJP has only two legislators in the 60-memeber house.
The Sangma government is comfortably placed, but the withdrawal of support would send a strong message ahead of the Assembly elections.
“So, as soon as these papers come, ED will be there, CBI will be there, so many central agencies will be after them (NPP),” the state BJP chief said.
“We have already sent people to collect the evidence, with the evidence they (Central agencies) will come without evidence nobody will come,” he added.
Ao said the party functionaries have been receiving complaints of corruption against the government, but since there is no documentary evidence, the party has not been able to take any decisions.
“We got complained but unfortunately we didn’t get papers, we have to prove so we are waiting for it, we have started working on it now. BJP has zero tolerance towards corruption, allegations are there I also heard from the paper, but we have instructed our party men who are expected to find out the documents because simply we cannot make an allegation.”
The saffron party has been openly criticising the Conrad Sangma-led government for the alleged Saubhagya scam, illegal coal mining, MeECL, FCI rice scams, misuse of central funds from the Special Assistance Grant Scheme in Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council and Garo Hills Autonomous District Council and many other.
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