CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: Newly inducted BJP leader Jemino Mawthoh has defended UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh amid growing discontent within the regional party and reports of some legislators considering a shift towards the BJP.
Mawthoh, a former UDP working president, general secretary and MLA, said the party's internal problems could not be attributed solely to Lyngdoh. He credited Lyngdoh's leadership with helping the UDP expand from six to 12 MLAs and win several by-elections.
Speaking to reporters in Shillong, Mawthoh said efforts to unite regional forces had failed to materialise, while regional leaders were increasingly looking towards national parties. He said reported discontent among UDP legislators could also be linked to dissatisfaction with the performance of the MDA government and demands for greater respect for elected representatives.
Mawthoh said he had no ill-feeling towards the UDP and maintained that his relationship with Lyngdoh remained cordial. "Metbah Lyngdoh is a very respectable man," he said, adding that he could not explain the reported disintegration within the party.
On the BJP's prospects, Mawthoh said the party, which currently has two MLAs, could significantly increase its strength in the 2028 Assembly election through grassroots mobilisation. He compared the BJP's potential growth with the NPP's rise from two MLAs to its present strength.
Mawthoh said public aspirations and perceptions were changing and that the BJP's future would depend on how effectively it worked at the grassroots. He also claimed that people from different districts were increasingly contacting the party to join it.
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