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Journalism of Courage
The BJP Thursday declared candidates for all the 60 seats in the coming Meghalaya Assembly elections, including four MLAs who switched to the party in December 2022.
While the BJP is currently part of the ruling alliance in Meghalaya led by the National People’s Party (NPP), the relationship between the two has soured and they are contesting from all the 60 seats separately.
The BJP had won two seats last time, and has fielded both its sitting MLAs – A L Hek (Pynthorumkhrah seat) and Sanbor Shullai (South Shillong) — again.
The other major parties in the fray in the state had released at least their first candidate lists last month itself, but the BJP held on till the Central Election Committee presided over by BJP national president J P Nadda met Wednesday.
Apart from its two sitting MLAs, the BJP has fielded four others who won last time – Himalaya Shangpliang (who won on a Trinamool Congress ticket); Benedic Marak and Ferlin Sangma (earlier NPP); and Samuel Sangma (earlier Independent). All had resigned from the Assembly and joined the BJP in 2022.
The BJP candidate list also includes the controversial party leader Bernard Marak. In July last year, Marak, a former militant, was arrested on charges of running a sex racket at a farmhouse in West Garo Hills district. Police had arrested 73 people and claimed to have rescued six minors, including two girls, from the farmhouse. Marak was released on conditional bail in October.
The crackdown against Marak had put tremendous strain on the relationship between the ruling alliance partners NPP and BJP. Senior BJP leaders such as its national vice-president Chuba Ao had said that the charges levelled against Marak were “politically motivated”. Incidentally, Marak has been fielded by the BJP from South Tura in Garo Hills, where he will take on Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.
Besides Marak, another former militant, Novembirth Ch Marak, will be contesting on a BJP ticket, from Chokpot.
The newcomers in the BJP list include Martin Danggo, who joined the party only Wednesday, after resigning from the NPP despite being given a ticket from Dandenggre.
Other BJP candidates who are new entrants include Bhayes Chyrmang, Highlander Kharmalki, Mariahom Kharkrang, Wossaroi Rani, Diosstarness Jyndiang, Sukharam K. Sangma, Edmond K Sangma, Adamkid M Sangma, Dipul R Marak, and Premananda Koch.
