Expelled BJP leaders from Meghalaya's Ri Bhoi move central party leadership

SHILLONG:

Infighting within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Meghalaya state unit has surfaced following the removal of a few party leaders from Ri Bhoi district, compelling the latter to seek the intervention of the BJP national vice president in-charge of Meghalaya, M. Chuba Ao.

Ex- general secretary of BJP Ri Bhoi district, Sailenstar Ranee and five other presidents of Umsning, Jirang, Mawhati, Nongpoh and Umroi mandals (units) had, on November 24, sent a letter to the BJP national vice president expressing disappointment over the decision of the BJP state president, Ernest Mawrie to expel them.

“We express the sadness of what the state president Ernest Mawrie has done, while we are showing him the way to follow the constitution of the party but he continuously denied us. Later, he expelled us from the party,” read the letter.

Crying foul, Ranee alleged that when Ernest Mawrie took over as the state president, the appointment of new office bearers at the grassroot and booth levels was going on without the knowledge of the district mandal presidents.

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“Members were appointed to high posts without consulting the mandal presidents and the office bearers of the district,” the expelled general secretary of BJP Ri Bhoi district unit said on Thursday.

It may be recalled that Mawrie had appointed PW Pnar as the new district president of Ri Bhoi, replacing S Thabah in July this year.

“He refused to follow the constitution in the appointment of office-bearers. According to the party's constitution, a district president should be someone who has completed at least 6 years in office at different levels but the current president hasn’t even completed one year in office,” Ranee alleged.

When asked whether they have received any response from the central leadership, Ranee replied in the negative. “We know he (Ao) is in Shillong and we have sought an appointment with him tomorrow (Friday),” he said.

When contacted, Ernest Mawrie refused to comment on the issue stating that he had never seen the letter submitted to the national vice president of the party.

“How will I make a comment when I haven’t even seen the letter,” he said.

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When asked about his meeting with the BJP national vice president on Wednesday in Shillong, Mawrie said since it was his (Ao) maiden visit to Meghalaya after being appointed the state in-charge, the discussion was limited to strategies on how to strengthen the party.

Reacting to a query on the statement made by M. Chuba Ao to stick with the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) till its full term, the BJP state president said, “We have no comment on that because they (NPP) are part of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). If nothing goes wrong, it will go till elections. We can’ say what will happen; we still have two years left (for the MDA to complete its term)”.

When asked about the ‘cold war’ that is going on between the BJP and the NPP over several corruption allegations, Mawrie said, “We have not charged the NPP; we are charging the government. The government is duty-bound to correct these mistakes otherwise the whole state will be affected,” adding that the charges were levelled based on RTI findings.

With the MDA meeting set to be held later today, it is expected that this issue will be raised apart from several other issues.

(Edited by Ibankyntiew Mawrie)

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