Three sitting MLAs, including two from the ruling National People's Party (NPP) and one from the Opposition All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), on Monday resigned as members of the 11th Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.
The two NPP legislators - Benedict Marak (Raksamgre) and Fairlene Sangma (Selsella) and one AITC legislator, Himalaya Muktan Shangpliang (Mawsynram) met Assembly Speaker, Metbah Lyngdoh and handed over their respective resignation letters to him at the Assembly Secretariat, Khyndai Lad here on Monday.
Speaking to reporters, Shangpliang said, “All three of us have submitted our resignations from our respective Assembly seats with immediate effect and the Speaker was kind enough to receive and accept the resignation letters accordingly.”
He also announced their decision to join the BJP and said, “All three of us are planning to join the BJP and very shortly we would be joining the party and the intention of joining the party is three of us have one mind and that is development for the state.”
He said the state needs a lot of development and there are things that need to be done in the state considering the fact that this state is undergoing a lot of financial problems, be it from all aspects, particularly from the law and order point of view.
Urging the people to accept the BJP as it can bring a change to Meghalaya, Shangpliang said, “BJP is a party for development and therefore, we have nothing but development so we need development for the state and therefore we are all joining together in the BJP."
Stating that three MLAs would not like to point fingers at the MDA government and its failures, Shangpliang said, “Time will come when we are in the election campaign, that time we will bring the points to the people.”
Reiterating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi can change things for Meghalaya, the former MLA said, “Why we have decided to join the BJP is because we look at Narendra Modi as a big role here for us.
Modi can change things. We feel and we believe that things will change for Meghalaya. Look at the unemployment we are facing in the state”.
