Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee President Vincent H Pala on Friday accused the BJP of stealing the mandate of the people through defections and posed the question of who would have the last laugh as the State’s political equations undergo a major realignment. He said the UDP had earlier laughed at the Congress when the BJP sought to draw away its legislators, but the situation had now turned against the UDP after eight of its MLAs joined the BJP, leaving the NPP in a position to laugh at the UDP. Pala further said that if the BJP eventually turned its attention to the NPP’s legislators, the political sequence could lead to yet another turn in the State’s political equations, raising the question of who would ultimately have the last laugh.
The BJP, which had won only two seats in the 2023 Assembly elections, now has 10 MLAs after eight UDP legislators joined the party, making it the second-largest party in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. Pala alleged that the BJP’s numerical expansion did not amount to the electoral mandate from voters and said the party’s real test would come in the 2028 Assembly elections. He also expressed confidence that the political situation could change before then.
Talking to media persons in Shillong, Pala said, “The real test will be in 2028, We in the Congress We condemn the way in which the BJP has done and has done this to their own friends, to their own allies.”
The MPCC president said the BJP’s present strength was the result of legislators changing political allegiance rather than an increase in its electoral mandate, and questioned whether the party would be able to secure the support of voters in the next Assembly election.
“They might have got MLAs but wheather they will get the mandate of the people or not. That we are yet to see,” the State Congress chief said.
Asked about the BJP’s expansion plan, Pala said the Congress did not view the BJP’s legislative expansion as a reflection of popular support. He said the Congress would seek to consolidate voters who did not support the BJP and asserted that the party was not intimidated by the BJP’s growth.
“Expansion plan to steal the mandate that’s not the plan or that is not the strategy. Over all mandate in the last elections BJP has got the 36.7 percent of total votes are rest 67 percent are against the BJP,” he added.
Pala further claimed that with other political parties having collapsed, the contest in the future could increasingly be between the Congress and the BJP, and asserted that the Congress would enter the next electoral battle as a strong force.
