Shillong, Sept 6: BJP national president, Amit Shah has appointed Union minister, Alphons Kannanthanam as election in-charge of the party for the upcoming Assembly poll in Meghalaya early next year.

Alphons has been appointed as minister of state (independent charge) of tourism, along with additional responsibility as minister of state for electronics and information technology.

Alphons, a bureaucrat-turned politician from Kerala, was inducted into the Union Cabinet on Sunday. Alphons is a Christian from Kottayam district in Kerela and he was chosen by BJP national president, Amit Shah to be in the cabinet.
Alphons is the first minister from Kerala in the three-and-a-half-year-old Narendra Modi cabinet.

Confirming the appointment of Alphons, a statement issued by Meghalaya BJP general secretary, Bashailang Khongwir here on Wednesday said, “The centre has appointed Alphons as in-charge of elections for Meghalaya.”

Meghalaya will go to fresh Assembly poll in February-March next year.

The appointment of Alphons as in-charge of election in Meghalaya, is likely to boost the BJP’s move to win over Christian minority in the country including in Christian-dominated Meghalaya.

Alphons was assigned with the responsibility a day after members of the core committee of the Meghalaya BJP led by its state president, Shibun Lyngdoh held threadbare discussion with Amit Shah in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Members of the Core Committee which include Lyngdoh, Khongwir, state vice president Edmund K Sangma, state office In-charge cum Treasurer Sarwan Jhunjhunwala and state Executive Member, Bianca Kyndiah met the BJP national president, in the presence of national general secretary (organisation), Ramlal, national general secretary, Ram Madhav, Assam finance minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, general secretary (organization) North East, Ajay Jamwal and BJP in-charge of Meghalaya, Nalin Kohli.

Khongwir said that the meeting discussed on election strategy and other related matters, besides the upcoming visit of the BJP national president to Meghalaya on September 28.

“The Central leaders are happy with the progress of organizational work in our State,” Khongwir said.