SHILLONG, MAY 4: From just two MLAs today to leading the government in 2028 — that’s the roadmap BJP leaders in Meghalaya laid out Monday, banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal and what they called Assam’s “pro-incumbency” model.
“Mark my words, I am saying today you see in 2028 you come back to us, you will see BJP will double digit,” said party chief spokesperson Mariahom Kharkrang.
“I will not want to comment any party but BJP you will see double digit in 2028.”
Cabinet Minister Sanbor Shullai, when asked how the party plans to jump from 2 to 32 seats, said, “We will work hard. The people be it in rural or urban area now they have start accepting the good works of none other than Narendra Modiji.”
“That is why we are winning and we will form the government in 2028,” he added.
Shullai claimed rural voters, including Christians, would swing to the BJP. “Wherever we travel in the rural areas, all the people specially our brothers from the Christian community in 2028, they will vote hundred percent for BJP,” he said.
Pynthorumkhrah MLA AL Hek compared the state’s trajectory to the BJP’s national rise. “The BJP started with two seats and now today they have over 200-300 seats. That is also the trend in Meghalaya,” Hek said. “With two seats, we are going to lead the government in the state of Meghalaya.”
Though currently a partner in the NPP-led MDA government, Hek said the BJP will contest alone.
“We are in the government as a coalition partner but when talking about the election, we will be fighting separately and BJP will fight alone for the upcoming elections in 2028,” he said.
On candidate selection, Kharkrang said, “In fact we have a number of applicants and once it has been decided, we will go all out whichever candidate comes in. However, election is yet to be announced.”
Kharkrang argued that Assam disproves anti-incumbency against BJP governments. “Just take an example of Assam, I think after 10 years of BJP rule in Assam, other states, it has always been anti-incumbency, here what we find in Assam is a pro-incumbency, it has not happened,” he said.
“You see what happened in Tamil Nadu, anti-incumbency right but in Assam, earlier our vote share, our number of seats have increased now, so you see that is the ideology of BJP,” he added. “Once you have a BJP government that is what happens, other parties become insignificance.”
Addressing Meghalaya’s Christian-majority demographics, Kharkrang said development would be decisive. “Even if it is a Christian majority also but ultimately people want development, people want to see their children employed,” he said.
“What is happening now is that even whatever qualification you have also, it is either you leave the state or you should be happy with whatever meagre wages that you…what people ultimately want is development of the state and that development, it is very amply clear that it is only the BJP which can bring that development,” he said.
