Meghalaya BJP now keeping mum on pull-out from MDA govt

Shillong, Oct 6 (IANS) The BJP, a junior partner of the National Peoples Party-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government, is silent now after giving a threat to withdraw support from the Conrad K. Sangma government.With state BJP leaders largely mum after their pull out threat, political pundits are saying that the party's central leaders did not endorse the state unit's decision. A senior state BJP leader said that as the central leaders remained non-committal, the state committee is not insisting on its stand to withdraw support.Chief Minister Sangma has already termed the state BJP leaders' threat as an "individual decision" while NPP state President W.R. Kharlukhi described it as "total farce".The BJP with two MLAs -- Alexander Laloo Hek and Sanbor Shullai -- has been supporting the MDA government, dominated by NPP and allied by few other local parties.Meghalaya BJP President Ernest Mawrie, former Health and Family Welfare Minister Hek, BJP national Vice-President and party's Meghalaya in-charge M. Chuba Ao earlier separately said that the state party leaders unanimously decided to withdraw support from the MDA government but the final decision would be taken by the central leadership.BJP's national General Secretary, Organisation, B.L. Santhosh was also present in the meetings of the State Executive Committee and the Core Committee, held recently in Shillong.To a query about the reasons behind the decision to quit the ruling coalition almost at the end of the full five year term, Hek had told IANS that "everything would be disclosed and explained in detail at an appropriate time".NPP's relation with the BJP had been gradually souring over various issues, specially after the arrest of BJP state Vice President Bernard N. Marak, who was arrested from Uttar Pradesh by the Meghalaya Police on July 25 for allegedly running a brothel in the West Garo Hills district. Assembly elections in Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland are expected to be held in February next year.
--IANS sc/vd

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