SHILLONG, SEP 15: Opposition AITC leader and former chief minister Mukul Sangma on Friday categorically denied meeting any leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“Has he (Ernest Mawrie) met me? Or has Dr Mukul met any of them? Please ask them. Okay their politics does not probably happen without my name that is a different thing. Please ask them, don’t ask me,” Sangma told reporters.
He was reacting to the recent claim made by State BJP President Ernest Mawrie that Mukul Sangma was denied entry into the BJP by the party senior leaders in Delhi.
The former CM said he has seen such reports being circulated without asking him.
“I would have been happier if at least friends from the media would have given me an opportunity to comment before carrying such stories,” he said.
Meanwhile, the former chief minister said he is studying the whole political dynamic of the State before deciding their future course of action. According to him, this was necessary because of the outcome of the 2023 Assembly polls where the AITC managed to win only five seats in the 60-member House.
“Therefore, it is necessary for all of us to have an exhaustive due diligence of the overall political dynamics that have unfolded and the way it is going to be unfolded in the years to come and how we will navigate through this kind of situation, navigate for what, Navigate for ensuring that our objective which revolves around serving the people with utmost sense of commitment and dedication and honesty and give the best that we can,” he said.
Sangma said there are reasons for people like us to feel concerned and worried because we had the privilege along with many of the leaders of the State in participating in collectively building this State.
“And if things are not going the right way and there is a need to look at all ways and means as to how to ensure that okay we do justice to the desire expectation of the people as everybody wants to have a good life, everybody wants to ensure that their children have a better life and how we can actually ensure that this kind of hope can be generated and they will see it happening. If people are feeling little apprehensive of their future I think then there is a reason for us to really be concern and see that we start looking how steers the State in the right way so that its future is better,” he added.
When asked, the AITC leader said that he is more concerned about creating that sense of oneness in the State of Meghalaya than joining other political parties.
“If Meghalaya can be a State where everybody has the sense of wellbeing, Meghalaya is vibrant, progressive and prosperous and you as a State are capable of contributing for the growth and prosperity of the nation so charity begins at home. I am more concerned about this beautiful State of Meghalaya where we need to create that sense of oneness,” he said.
Questioning the failure of political parties in Meghalaya to create this sense of oneness, Sangma said, “Has any political party been able to create this sense of oneness. I am afraid I am not seeing it. So there is a big challenge before us. So you can understand the burden on me as to what must be going on in my mind. Do you subscribe to the kind of environment that has unfolded in the preceding months? Do you want to see these kinds of similar things where everyone thinks my future is at stake? No, we don’t want to see that. Everybody should have that sense of hope where they see that the future is going to be better and when this can happen I think we are on the right path but at the moment this is not happening so we will have to make it happen.”
Meanwhile, sources in the party have indicated the possibility of Sangma floating a new political party in Meghalaya. However, the picture will only get clearer after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.