Meghalaya: Former minister JA Lyngdoh quits BJP after feeling 'sidelined, insulted' by the party

BJP leader and former minister JA Lyngdoh quit the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday as he felt sidelined, insulted, and ostracised’ for the past four and a half years by the party. 

In a letter addressed to the state party president Ernest Mawrie, Lyngdoh has stated that since his joining in 2016, he has worked to uplift the core value of the party. 

Lyngdoh contested the 2018 Assembly elections from North Shillong Constituency on a BJP ticket but lost by a margin to present MLA Adelbert Nongrum.

“The tough and difficult task that was given to me by Shri Nalin Kohli Ji and Shri Ram Madhav Ji to try and pull in prominent sitting MLAs to join the BJP before the election of 2018 was wholeheartedly done by me in all my ability and capability wherein 4 sitting MLAs namely – Mr. Sanbor Shullai, Mr. A. L Hek, Mr. Robinius Syngkon, and Mr. Justin Dkhar joined. However, the recent and also not-so-recent turn of events has compelled me to draft my resignation”, reads the resignation letter sent to the BJP state president. 

Furthermore, he added that there were many reasons that led to this decision, which he stated in his own words, "Under your leadership as the President of the party, I have felt a sense of dismay and unfortunately a sense of betrayal as well. This is evident from the very onset of you favoring a then-fellow party member Mr. Rocky Hek as a candidate from 17th North Shillong after my defeat. Time and again, I have initiated a meeting and a talk with you but it never materialized. After Mr. Rocky Hek resigned this year, I have again tried to materialize a meeting, but to no avail”.

After the resignation of Rocky Hek, the BJP favoured Martamlin Pyrbot for the BJP candidature from North Shillong instead of offering Lyngdoh the party ticket. 

Notably, former IPS officer Mariahom Kharkrang on September 3 has joined the BJP. At the same time, he also announced his intention to contest from the North Shillong constituency in the upcoming 2023 assembly elections in the state.