Shullai refutes report of cozying up to BJP

Shillong, Aug 23: South Shillong MLA and tiolist Congress Party (NCP) State unit president Sanbor Shullai on Wednesday refuted certain reports (not in The Sentinel) that he will be joining the BJP.

When asked by reporters after iuguration of a new party office in the city, Shullai said that these were only rumours.

When asked if the BJP would make an impact in the 2018 Assembly elections given the mandate the party got in other parts of the country, the South Shillong legislator said in Meghalaya people vote for persolities rather than a party.

“People of the state will vote for an individual first. The party is secondary,” Shullai said.

He also took a dig at the war of words between the BJP and the Congress in the state.

“Whenever central leaders of the BJP visit the State, both the Congress and BJP slam each other. We are only watching (from the sidelines),” the NCP leader said.

Meanwhile, NCP’s associate member and two-time legislator from Gambegre Saleng A Sangma urged the people of the State to vote for candidates who can usher in development even as he blamed the voters for bringing the Congress to power in Meghalaya.

Urging the people of the State to judge the performance of the Congress ever since it came to power in 2013, Sangma wondered why the demand for Inner Line Permit (ILP) was turned down by the State government. He also alleged that the present regime could not do anything to ameliorate the sufferings of the people affected by the tiol Green Tribul (NGT) ban on coal mining despite being voted to rule the State. The associate member of the NCP also said that the iuguration spree indulged in by the State government were only for the sake of elections.

According to Sangma, the districts iugurated before the 2013 assembly elections still lacks various infrastructures. When specifically asked why the NCP is still part of the MUA-II when there are so many shortcomings in the government, Sangma justified his party’s position by pointing out that it extended support to the government thinking that it will do justice to the people of Meghalaya.