New Delhi: Days after the National People’s Party (NPP) withdrew its support from the N. Biren Singh government in Manipur, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) challenged the Conrad Sangma-led NPP to end their alliance in Meghalaya. The BJP accused the NPP of staying in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) only to secure central funds.

Speaking to ThePrint, Meghalaya BJP Vice-President Bernard N. Marak, who was the party’s candidate in the bypolls to the Gambegre assembly constituency, said the NPP “cannot afford” to detach itself from the BJP due to “rising debts” of the state government led by Chief Minister Sangma. 

Marak said the decision to support the NPP in the general elections was taken by the BJP’s central leadership. “But the fact remains that at the grassroots level, especially in the Garo Hills, the NPP has always worked against the BJP. They targeted BJP leaders and workers and spread canards against the party that we are anti-Christian. It is another matter that it came back to bite them in the Lok Sabha polls.”

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the NPP lost the two seats it contested from in Meghalaya—one to the Congress, and the other to the Voice of the People Party (VPP). After the loss, many NPP leaders attributed the defeat to the party’s association with the BJP, saying the latter’s pro-Hindutva push elsewhere backfired in Christian majority Meghalaya. 

CM Sangma also suggested as much in an interview to ThePrint in July, saying the NPP’s “alignment” with certain political parties and anti-incumbency could have been the factors behind its defeat in the Lok Sabha polls. In the recently held bypolls, the NPP and BJP contested separately.

Marak, who was arrested by the Meghalaya Police in 2022 for allegedly running a brothel, said he would eventually prove himself innocent. His arrest had invited strong reactions from the central leadership of the BJP, which had contested the 2023 Meghalaya assembly polls solo by exiting the MDA. After the polls though, it rejoined the coalition. 

Also Read: Mizoram govt assures Meiteis after Mizo group issues warning in wake of fresh violence in Manipur

Marak among most popular leaders in Meghalaya

A former member of the outlawed Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC)—a militant group that demands a separate state for the Garo tribe—Marak is the BJP’s face in the Garo Hills and among its most popular leaders in the state.

“Look, the NPP is extremely corrupt. It has even backstabbed the BJP on many occasions. It has kept itself attached to the BJP just for funds from the Centre. It has taken advantage of the BJP’s trust. They (NPP) cannot afford to detach. The state is in such massive debt. They have taken loan after loan in the pretext of development. In reality, they are just developing their own party,” Marak told ThePrint.

In Meghalaya, the three autonomous district councils—covering the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo Hills divisions—are all governed by the NPP-led ruling alliance. Marak said the BJP’s members in the district councils are treated by the NPP as Opposition despite the alliance between the two parties.

Following the NPP’s decision to pull out of the BJP-led ruling alliance in Manipur, Sangma said the move was specific to an individual, suggesting that if Biren Singh is replaced by someone else acceptable as the CM, the NPP would consider rejoining the alliance. Marak, however, said such statements are “bereft of logic”.

“The NPP just wants to pretend that it is not with the BJP,” he alleged.

ThePrint reported Tuesday that while the NPP’s decision to pull out of the Biren Singh government came in the backdrop of fresh violence in Manipur, a large section of the party had been pushing Sangma to dump the BJP for more than a year now. Sources said that Sangma had been mulling the decision but putting it off due to an internal rift as five of seven MLAs in the NPP’s Manipur unit wanted to remain in the BJP-led ruling alliance.

The division was evident at a meeting of BJP MLAs and its allies in Manipur Tuesday as four NPP MLAs attended it despite the party withdrawing its support from the state government.

(Edited by Radifah Kabir)

Also Read: BJP ally NPP withdraws support to Biren Singh-led govt in Manipur. ‘Cannot tolerate any more’