Former Mawsynram legislator Himalaya M Shangpliang on Thursday announced his decision to join the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) on September 13.
Speaking to reporters, Shangpliang said, “I am planning to join the NPP and the scheduled date for being inducted in the NPP is on September 13, at the NPP state headquarters office.”
He said, “I am making it very clear to you that I am joining the NPP without any conditions. Once I join the NPP, I will be a member of the party and whatever the high command finds me fit with the responsibility, I am ready to shoulder that.”
Shangpliang said as far as the Lok Sabha elections is concerned, he would leave it to the judgment and wisdom of the high command of the NPP to utilize his services.
After quitting the BJP, the former MLA said he decided to join the NPP after seeing the chief minister Conrad K Sangma how he has brought drastic change and a lot of development in the state of Meghalaya during the last five years.
“Therefore, I thought the NPP is the only party of the State that perhaps could provide the people of the State with the sense of security, the sense of development and a (better) future,” he added.
Shangpliang claimed that more than 2,000 party workers holding responsible positions in the Mawsynram BJP Mandal have also tendered their resignation letters to the State president and they will all be joining the NPP on September 12, at Mawsynram.
“Prior to my resignation, I had met all my leaders in Mawsynram and I had taken their consent that we are moving out of the BJP. On September 13, all my top leaders will be escorting me for my induction (into the NPP),” he said.
The former Mawsynram legislator also denied the claims made by the BJP state president Ernest Mawrie that he wanted the MDA to set up a common candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
“I have never discussed Lok Sabha elections with Mawrie. I have never even asked for a ticket nor was there any discussion about some common candidate or something,” he said.
Meanwhile, Shangpliang said there are no flaws in the BJP but the flaws are in the leadership of the state party because there were too many internal conflicts and nepotism which undermined the growth of the party in Meghalaya.
“I did not see any better future in the State BJP here though I would have loved to remain in the party. But there were lots of other issues. There were internal conflicts, there was nepotism which undermined the growth of the party. If we have to work for the welfare of the people then such things should not find a room such as internal conflicts and nepotism if we are there for the welfare of the people. Therefore, I thought the best way is to quit the party,” he said.
Shangpliang also slammed Mawrie for alleging nepotism in the appointment of his brother as president of the BJP Mawsynram mandal and said that Mawrie had appointed his wife as general secretary of the BJP Mahila Morcha and sideline deserving people who have silently worked throughout these years.
“I would like to clarify that, we resigned from the TMC en masse and my cousin brother was already a block president under the TMC and that resignation en masse came to the BJP and accordingly he got that position again by virtue of entering the BJP and that was notified by Mawrie himself. It was not my doing. It was notified by the party president,” he said.