Senior BJP leader and cabinet member A L Hek denied BJP’s involvement in horse trading that allegedly led to the Government formation.
Talking to reporters, the senior BJP legislator, said, “Who has done or who has not done horse trading I don’t know, I am talking about myself as a BJP, our high command already discussed with the NPP to form the alliance, that I know but other political parties how they are trading and how they are not trading don’t ask me because I am not involve anywhere in that particular ‘horse trading.”
Meanwhile, the BJP leader admitted that the people’s mandate in the just concluded election was not in favour of the saffron party.
“The party has a very small role as a partner of the MDA-2 government,” said Hek.
On his decision to be part of the government and take oath as a minister of the NPP-led government despite him having been vocal against working together with the NPP, Hek said, “I have expressed my opinion but as a party, we have to follow the high command’s instructions. Whatever decision taken by the high command we have to abide by it.”
Meanwhile, National People’s Party leader and spokesperson of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance – 2.0 government Marcuise N Marak categorically denied that his party and its allies were engaging in “horse trading”.
“There is no horse trading at all,” Marak told reporters when responding to a query on the allegation made by the former chief minister Mukul Sangma that the alternative government could not be formed by regional parties, AITC and Congress, due to the horse trading.
“If some of the newly elected MLAs wanted to join the NPP-led government then our duty is to welcome them. So therefore, where is horse trading? There is no horse trading at all,” he stated.
Earlier, TMC leader and former chief minister Mukul Sangma said the recent failure to form an alternative government was due to “horse trading”.
The regional parties have failed to form a non NPP-BJP government after the just concluded 2023 Assembly elections.