Shillong: With just 11 days left for voting in the Meghalaya assembly polls, the BJP is stepping up campaigning with its top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior party leaders, set to address physical election rallies in the state over the next few days.
The party which is eyeing to improve its tally in this Northeastern state has planned out a roadshow for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the state capital and a public rally at Tura in Garo Hills region on February 24.
“We have proposed a road show for the Prime Minister in Shillong and a public rally at Tura. We are still waiting for the confirmation from our central party leaders,” State BJP President, Ernest Mawrie told UNI.
Interestingly, this will be for the first time that Prime Minister and host of Union Ministers will be campaigning in Garo Hills region, which is considered the home turf of the ruling National People’s Party (NPP).
The Garo Hills have 24 Assembly seats and the BJP is attempting to woo the Hindu voters in four to five assembly constituencies to increase its number of seats and vote share in this predominantly Christian state.
“We are confident to improve our tally in the state assembly on March 2 (the day the votes are counted). Don’t be surprised if we touch a double digit and lead the government,” a senior BJP leader confidently said, but refused to be named.
The BJP’s election plank has been development and employment, besides promising to wipe out corruption in the state.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday began his election campaign in North Tura assembly constituency, adjacent to the incumbent Chief Minister and National People’s Party (NPP) national president Conrad Sangma’s South Tura assembly seat.
Hitting out at his party’s ally the NPP, which is leading the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance, Shah said the BJP broke its alliance with the NPP before the elections in Meghalaya so that it can contest all 60 assembly seats and emerge stronger.
“We broke alliance with NPP in Meghalaya so that the BJP can contest all the seats and emerge as
a strong party,” he said, appealing to the electorates to vote for the BJP, promising to wipe out corruption from the state.
“Due to mismanagement and corruption in the state, in 2022-23, the deficit was Rs 1849 crore. It’s a huge amount for a small state like Meghalaya. As per an RBI report, Meghalaya is developing at the slowest pace in the country,” Shah said.
BJP national president J.P Nadda, who presented the party’s manifesto to the people of Meghalaya on Wednesday, has promised a “corruption-free” Meghalaya and to establish a “Special Task Force” under a retired Supreme Court judge to investigate all cases of corruption as well as an “anti-corruption helpline” to provide a “quick and efficient” grievance redressal mechanism.
Continuing his tirade against the NPP-led MDA government, Union Minister and senior BJP leader, Sarbananda Sonowal, who is on a whirlwind election campaign in Garo Hills, urged electorates to vote for the BJP whose only agenda is “peace and progress of Meghalaya”.
