Eight UDP legislators keen to join BJP in Meghalaya, says Hek

SHILLONG, SEP 14 (NPN): Senior Meghalaya Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Alexander Laloo Hek said on Monday that political parleys are ongoing between the BJP’s central leadership and at least eight of the 12 United Democratic Party legislators planning to merge with the saffron party in the state.
“I can only say that talks are still ongoing between central BJP leaders and the eight UDP legislators. It is now entirely up to the UDP legislators to decide. Let us wait and watch,” Hek said.
“As of now, I can only say that the eight UDP legislators are very keen to join the BJP. We are just waiting for the D-day for them to be part of the BJP family,” the veteran BJP leader informed.
The veteran BJP legislator had recently briefed the Union Home Minister and second-in-command in the BJP, Amit Shah, on the current political situation in Meghalaya, in view of a possible merger of the eight UDP legislators with the BJP.
Should the merger of the eight UDP legislators with the BJP go through within the ambit of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, it will propel the BJP to a 10-seat tally, replacing the regional UDP as the second-largest party in the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly.
With 12 legislators, the UDP is the second-largest constituent in the National People’s Party (NPP)-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance-2.0 government.
The NPP commands an absolute majority with 33 legislators in the 60-member House Meghalaya assembly.
Hek maintained that the political scenario in Meghalaya is changing, and the coming days will be decisive.
He said the BJP was aiming to provide a “strong, stable and accountable leadership” in the state.
“Our goal is not merely to be a participant in Meghalaya’s politics, but to provide strong, stable and accountable leadership through a government of our own, rooted in the aspirations and interests of the people of Meghalaya,” Hek asserted. Olan Sing Suiñ, one of the eight ‘rebel’ UDP legislators on Friday had revealed that the move to join the BJP could “happen anytime”, if issues and demands put forward by them were taken care of the prominent party at the Centre.
He said that the “mission” of the eight UDP legislators was to join the BJP if their demands, including the constitutional recognition of the Khasi language and other issues of importance, were fully fulfilled.
Anything can happen any day, and we want to accomplish our mission,” Suiñ had said.