Shillong, Nov 4: BJP Legislature Party leader and Cabinet Minister Sanbor Shullai has expressed dissatisfaction over the recent Cabinet reshuffle and allocation of portfolios in Meghalaya, stating that the BJP, as the second-largest party in the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), deserved greater representation and should have been consulted before the changes were made.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, Shullai said the BJP, which has 10 MLAs, deserved additional Cabinet berths and that the matter had already been raised with Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma following the resignation of UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh from the Cabinet. He clarified that the BJP had no objection to the induction of any National People’s Party (NPP) MLA into the Cabinet but maintained that the BJP, being the second-largest constituent of the MDA, should also have been adequately accommodated.
Shullai recalled that the BJP had stood firmly behind the NPP during the political crisis in 2023, when several political parties had attempted to form a non-NPP coalition government. He also pointed out that the MDA government continued to receive necessary assistance and support from the BJP-led government at the Centre and the party’s central leadership.
However, he expressed concern over what he described as the marginalisation of BJP MLAs by NPP leaders, stating that such developments were not a healthy sign for the functioning and stability of the MDA government. Shullai informed that BJP MLAs met the party’s Northeast co-in-charge, Rajiv Babber, on Wednesday and apprised him of the latest political developments, particularly the alleged sidelining of the BJP during the recent Cabinet reshuffle and portfolio allocation. He said the matter would soon be taken up with the BJP’s central leadership before any final decision was made.
The BJP Legislature Party leader further disclosed that, following instructions from the party during the Cabinet reshuffle, he had paid a courtesy visit to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and held discussions with both Deputy Chief Ministers. Shullai said he had also sought a meeting involving all BJP MLAs in his capacity as Legislature Party leader to address the differences between the two alliance partners through dialogue before the situation escalated. He maintained that the initiative was intended to improve relations between the BJP and NPP at the state level and ensure that the concerns of BJP legislators were addressed amicably.
Shullai added that the same intention had also been communicated to the Chief Minister by the BJP state president. While expressing disappointment over the recent developments, Shullai indicated that the BJP would first pursue discussions within the alliance and consult its central leadership before deciding on its next course of action.
