Political turncoats joining BJP!

From Our Staff Correspondent
Shillong, July 29: The saffron surge witnessed of late in the form of non-BJP legislators and leaders joining the saffron party in different States may be witnessed in Meghalaya too, if some reports are any indication. Of course, this is not to suggest or predict with certainty that the BJP will witness joining of non-BJP leaders and legislators in large numbers.
Nevertheless, ahead of the State Assembly polls scheduled in 2018, the BJP State unit seems to be upbeat about such a proposition after more than half a dozen sitting MLAs sought an audience with BJP tiol president Amit Shah.  
The BJP tiol president is expected to be in Shillong in mid-August to iugurate the permanent office of the party. 
BJP State unit president Shibun Lyngdoh confirmed the latest development to The Sentinel on Saturday about the overtures made by 7-8 sitting MLAs from the United Democratic Party (UDP), tiol People’s Party (NPP) and the Congress. 
“I would not like to me them, but those MLAs who want to meet our tiol Party President will basically be a courtesy call,” added Lyngdoh. 
“Don’t read too much into the proposed courtesy call by MLAs,” said Lyngdoh, barely two weeks after claiming that there are MLAs who have been sending feelers to the saffron party’s leadership.
After the poll bugle sounded by its tiol secretary lin Kohli, the BJP has been on an offensive against the Congress-led government in the State, to the extent by saying that “something dramatic” will happen after the presidential elections. 
The State BJP chief further said that the election preparations have started with a mission to get 40 seats. Meghalaya has a 60-member Legislative Assembly. 
However, political alysts feel that the BJP is targeting more than it could actually get. Even though it has started its mobilization programmes for more than a year, it’s acceptability in many areas is still open to question.