SHILLONG, Nov 30 - The Meghalaya BJP and its two legislators seem to be poles apart with both expressing divergent views on various issues, especially on corruption.
For the past few months, the State unit has been levelling numerous corruption charges against the Government led by the NPP. Incidentally, the BJP is part of the government with its legislator AL Hek holding the health and other portfolios.
However, this has not deterred the State unit to level charges of corruption and also raise issues of poor governance. One of its stinging charges includes illegal coal mining and transportation, which the State unit of the BJP says is being carried out by a cartel openly.
It has also charged that there is rampant corruption in the Autonomous District Councils, especially in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council led by the NPP and has demanded a CBI probe. The party has also approached the Lokayukta to probe these charges.
Its state vice president Bernard N Marak further opposed the Government�s decision to introduce the Central Bonded Warehouse arguing that it would lead to monopolisation of the lucrative liquor business in the State.
At times these charges resonate with those in the Opposition Congress on corruption and both the arch political rivals seem to be speaking in the same voice and joining hands to fight corruption together.
However, the two legislators have expressed anguish over the State unit leadership, especially its president Ernest Mawrie, asking him to consult the two legislators before levelling charges against the Government.
Former Deputy Speaker of the Assembly and the other BJP MLA Sanbor Shullai has criticised the State unit of his party and said that there are various platforms where such issues could be discussed, rather than publicly.
These charges have not gone down well with the NPP-led MDA Government too and Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and his deputy Prestone Tynsong have asked the BJP to leave the alliance.
Sangma and Tynsong while showing the door have also spoken in a reconciliatory tone and asked the BJP not to air its grievances publicly, but within the platforms constituted for the alliance partners to air differences.
Meanwhile, the party has appointed BJP National Vice-President Chuba Ao as the state incharge by replacing Nalin Kohli. Ao met the party functionaries in the State capital and then met the CM together with Hek and expressed solidarity with the MDA government.
It is to be seen how far this temporary truce between the State unit of the BJP and the State Government lasts. It would also be interesting to see how the two BJP legislators react with Hek saying in the past that he is not averse to changing sides.
