States » EastPosted at: Oct 7 2026 10:38PM


NPP, TMC legislators eager to join BJP, claims former Meghalaya minister

Shillong, Oct 7 (UNI) Meghalaya BJP leader Alexander Laloo Hek has claimed that sitting MLAs from the ruling NPP and opposition TMC are eager to join the BJP, signalling an expanding footprint for the saffron party in the state.
Hek, widely considered the mastermind who roped eight of the 12 United Democratic Party (UDP) legislators into the BJP fold, said that NPP and TMC legislators from Garo Hills and Jaintia Hills are prepared to switch sides on the condition that they possess the numbers to avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law.
“I have received phone calls from NPP and TMC legislators expressing their willingness to join the BJP. However, these people don’t have the required numbers to leave their respective political party and to be part of the BJP family,” Hek, a former minister, pointed out.
The veteran BJP legislator's claims come a day after Chief Minister Conrad Sangma asserted that the NPP remains stable, even as he described reports of his party legislators jumping ship as mere imagination of certain sections.
Following the merger of eight UDP legislators, the BJP's strength in the 60-member Meghalaya assembly shot up from two to ten.
The surge provides significant traction for the saffron party, which serves as a partner in the NPP-led MDA government
“I have told them (NPP and TMC legislators) that BJP’s door is always open for them and everyone. Anyone who is interested in joining the BJP family is welcome,” Hek said.
Asked if the BJP’s expansion was causing "sleepless nights" for the ruling NPP, Hek said that every political party must ensure that it keeps its flock together, while asserting that party unity is a universal challenge.
When asked if the NPP needs to take cues from the BJP's approach, Hek dismissed the permanence of political control, emphasising that political power fluctuates and is never built to last.
“Power is always there, but in a few years, anti-incumbency will also set in. So, we should not be clinging to power all the time,” the veteran legislator pointed out.
Hek warned that political arrogance and obstinacy shorten a politician's shelf life, citing instances he had personally witnessed during his nearly three-decade political journey.
Asked if his warning was aimed at the NPP, Hek clarified that arrogance should not be attributed to an entire political party.
“Arrogance is an individual trait, not a party characteristic. If an individual is arrogant, it is the individual alone. Why blame the entire party?” the BJP leader argued.
Moreover, Hek said that governments and Chief Ministers had come and gone over the years, proving that political power is never permanent.
“We cannot rule permanently. Anti-incumbency is always a factor, and no one can claim they will rule forever,” he asserted.
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Tags: #NPP# TMC legislators eager to join BJP# claims former Meghalaya minister
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