National People’s Party (NPP) of Meghalaya has put its national coalition partner BJP in the dock by keeping its option open after the elections. The NPP said if needed, the party might tie up with the Congress after the polls.
Conrad Sangma, son of founder of the party, P.A. Sangma, told The Week, “It’s now clear that we are not having any election alliance with the BJP. And the BJP has decided to have post poll alliance with the UDP. If situation arises and in case of a hung assembly, we might enter into an alliance with BJP. However, we think we will win comfortably.”
Sangma said like in Manipur, both the NPP and the BJP decided to fight alone.
Out of sixty seats, the NPP will contest in all the seats while the BJP has decided to contest in most of the seats. They have already submitted nominations in 48 seats.
“We hope we will be able to fight all the seats. And as of now, there will not be any alliance. However, we will have friendly fight with NPP and UDP,” said Shibun Lyngdoh, BJP state president in Meghalaya.
The regional party UDP has offered to support the BJP in the post poll scenario. Interestingly, the deteriorating relations between the NPP and the BJP was because of the high ambitions of both the parties.
“BJP wanted maximum seats from us which was just not possible,” said Sangma, an MP from Tura and chief ministerial candidate for the NPP. Sangma was elected from Tura to Lok Sabha after his father’s demise, with the support of the saffron party and he is supporting the BJP government in Manipur and at the Centre. In Manipur too, both the parties fought alone.
Lyngdoh said the BJP was in a position to win many seats this time and form government. “If required we are sure we would get support from the NPP,” said BJP state chief.
However, things became tough for the BJP once the NPP said it would surely form government and if needed would seek the support of the Congress.
Sangma, however, said the crack in the relationship would not hamper the government in Manipur. The NPP has four MLAs in Manipur which is crucial for the BJP government there to survive.
“Situation varies in state to state. Here, the BJP thinks they are big and we think we are bigger than the BJP. So the tussle created,” said Sangma.
