BJP Will Retain Assam, Defections Are Normal Politics: Meghalaya's A.L. Hek

Senior Meghalaya BJP legislator A.L. Hek has pushed back against the idea that political defections ahead of the Assam elections pose any serious threat to the BJP's prospects — describing such movements as a routine and unavoidable feature of Indian electoral politics.

Speaking on Friday, Hek invoked the term "Ayaram Gayaram" — a phrase that has been part of Indian political vocabulary for decades — to characterise the pattern of leaders switching parties when they are denied tickets or feel sidelined during election season.

"During elections, you will always see 'Ayaram Gayaram'. Not all leaders can be satisfied," he said, adding that leaders move both into and out of the BJP as part of this broader political churn — and that no party is exempt from it.

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On the central question of the Assam election outcome, Hek was unambiguous about his expectations — even while stopping short of predicting an exact seat tally.

"I cannot say how many seats BJP will win, but I can say the BJP government will continue. Even if the party falls short of a majority on its own, it will still form the government," he said.

He credited the party's ground-level workers and leaders for pushing toward an absolute majority, and pointed to PM Narendra Modi's national standing as a stabilising factor.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP is doing very well across the country, and people continue to have faith in the party," Hek added.

Hek also turned his attention closer to home, commenting on the growing political consolidation around Meghalaya's ruling National People's Party (NPP).

While acknowledging that parties in power tend to attract leaders from across the spectrum, he cautioned that sheer numbers do not guarantee electoral success.

"If a ship is overloaded, it is bound to sink," he remarked — a pointed observation suggesting that absorbing too many defectors without careful candidate selection could backfire.

He was equally direct about the limits of political arithmetic.

"Only ex-MLAs or MLAs joining a party does not mean they will win. Politics is not a simple calculation — it is the people who ultimately decide," Hek said.

Hek concluded by framing the BJP's competitive edge not in terms of who is joining the party, but in terms of its internal structure and grassroots presence.

He stressed that the party's focus remains on strengthening its organisation at the ground level — a factor he suggested would matter more in the long run than the headline-grabbing movements of individual leaders between parties.