SHILLONG:
BJP state president Ernest Mawrie, on May 1, said the central leadership of the party will decide on whether he should continue to hold the post.
“I have completed my three year term. Whether I continue or discontinue that will be decided by the central leadership,” Mawrie told reporters while responding to a statement of BJP MLA from Pynthorumkhrah AL Hek that there is a move to drop Mawrie as the state president.
He however informed that the Defence minister Rajnath Singh had announced during the national executive committee held in Delhi on January 13, 2023, that the term of the national president JP Nadda has been extended till June 24, 2024.
“Therefore, until and unless the Centre announces the election of the national president, we (state) cannot hold an election. So he (Hek) is very wrong in giving that statement,” Mawrie said.
“If you remember, AL Hek was the president of the BJP in 2003 till 2006 so the tenure is for three years not two years (as Hek stated),” he further added.
Whether he would take responsibility for the poor performance of the party in the 2023 polls, Mawrie said, “We are doing well, we have fought in all 60 seats and our vote share has also gone up. All candidates have worked hard to win but election is election.”
He however said the party could manage to retain only the two seats since the people of Meghalaya had given their mandate to other political parties. “We have to work hard in Meghalaya but people will regret (not voting for BJP) because see how development has taken place in Assam,” he said.
When asked, the BJP state president denied that there is any division in the party and said, “Everybody has their own aspiration and we cannot stop that.”
He however said that the party will direct the Pynthorumkhrah MLA not to openly go to the press against the party.
“Within a few days, the party will give a direction that you cannot go to the press openly against the party. Being a minister he has to talk about his own department and what development he will bring through his department for the state and for the party, the party will take decisions,” Mawrie said.
According to him, the party is also waiting for the Centre’s direction on whether to issue a show cause notice to the minister.