Shillong:Former Meghalaya Assembly Speaker and National People’s Party (NPP) candidate, Martin Danggo formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He was welcomed by BJP minister Sanbor Shullai and other senior party leaders.
The five-time legislator resigned from the NPP after his supporters claimed he was “financially neglected” by the ruling party.
Danggo along with his supporters had also met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on January 28, and then hundred of his supporters led by his supporter led by former BJP candidate Pelcy Snaitang held a meeting on January 30 and adopted a resolution urging the NPP candidate from Ranikor assembly constituency to contest the February 27 polls on BJP ticket.
“My supporters had resigned en-masse. So where do I stand when people have already resigned en-masse, where do I go alone; so I have to follow them,” he said.
However, Danggo refused to comment on the allegations made by the NPP leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong.
“Whatever they think, let them think but I am going by the decision of my leaders and supporters. That’s all, I have nothing to clarify on that,” he said.
Danggo first won the assembly election seat on a People’s Democratic Movement ticket in 1998. He later switched to the Congress in 2003 and remained in the party till he decided to switch midway to the NPP.
After winning the 2018 assembly elections on a Congress ticket, Danggo quit the assembly and contested on a NPP ticket, but in the bye- election he lost to Pius Marwein of the United Democratic Party.
