Senior NPP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Dr WR Kharlukhi attributed the loss of NPP in the recent Lok Sabha elections is due to the state reservation policy and not because of BJP extending support.
Kharlukhi said that Khasi Jaintia Hills region wanted a review of the reservation policy whereas Garo Hills did not wanted any review.
Appreciating Chief Minister Conrad Sangma for taking a bold stand on the matter even though the party lost the election, the former NPP state president said this is part of politics as his assessment is not that BJP supported NPP.
Further, Kharlukhi said that NPP was faced with a pro-Voice of the People Party (VPP) wave in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region and a pro-Congress wave in the Garo Hills region during the Lok Sabha polls.
Meanwhile, Member of Parliament Rajya Sabha from Meghalaya Dr WR Kharlukhi on Thursday said he will retire from politics once his tenure in Rajya Sabha is over.
Talking to Mediapersons, Kharlukhi said he will not seek re elections to the Rajya Sabha, he said beside being politician he is also an academedician and said he is coming up with some more books shortly. Denying that he was sidelined by the top brass of NPP, the Rajya MP said young leaders should come forward.
He was president of both NCP and NPP Meghalaya for 16 years and now he wants to focus on writing books.