SHILLONG:
BJP leader A L Hek stated on Thursday that the decision of the party’s central leadership will determine whether he will give up the idea to contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
In response to a query on whether he will contest the LS polls, Hek mentioned that he had just recommended that the party field female candidates for the Shillong and Tura parliamentary seats.
“Question of giving up does not arise here. It is only throwing an idea to ensure (party gets) good candidates,” the five-time legislator from Pynthorumkhrah told reporters while adding “Such decision (whether to contest or not to contest) depends on the national leaders. If national leaders are telling A, B or C (to contest), we have to work hard to ensure BJP wins the elections.”
The Pynthorumkhrah legislator said he had given his personal proposal that it will be good for the BJP if it fields women candidates from the two parliamentary seats. “My idea was based on the 33 per cent reservation for women,” he added.
Further, Hek said that his proposal has got nothing to do with other political parties when asked if the idea of women candidates was to counter the decision of the ruling National People’s Party (NPP), which had announced women candidates – Ampareen Lyngdoh (cabinet minister) and Agatha K Sangma (sitting MP) for both Shillong and Tura parliamentary seats respectively.
“It has nothing to do with other political parties. We don’t have to counter or do anything, BJP is a political party and is doing its own way of winning elections,” he said.
To another query, Hek said he has only seen in the newspaper that Fenela Lyngdoh Nonglait, who is not a BJP member, has approached the party for a ticket from Shillong seat.
“I have read in the newspaper but officially I have not discussed the matter with the state president,” he said while stating that aspirants for the ticket will first have to enroll themselves as BJP members.
Meanwhile, Hek has urged the BJP to announce the candidates for both the seats four months before the LS polls.
“I agree with what you are saying. If BJP is setting up candidates for Shillong and Tura LS seats, they should not wait till the last moment; they should declare the candidates prior to four months before the election,” he said.
“I had to request the state president to call a meeting and take a resolution, we should send the minutes of that meeting to the Centre that at least if we are contesting the Shillong and Tura, we should at least declare candidates prior to election, not at the last moment,” he added.