Shillong: Meghalaya’s political realignment is extending to its tribal councils, giving BJP a stronger foothold in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC).The shift follows the defection of two United Democratic Party (UDP) legislators, Pius Marweiñ and Synshar Lyngdoh Thabah, who are also KHADC members. They joined BJP last month, along with six other UDP members of the state assembly.BJP’s strength in the 60-member Meghalaya assembly has risen from two to 10 after eight of the 12 UDP legislators joined the party.The realignment gained further momentum on Saturday when Moonlight Pariat, an Independent member of JHADC and its former chief executive member, joined BJP.Pariat is an executive member of the National People’s Party-led executive committee in JHADC. Marweiñ and Thabah are on the opposition benches in KHADC, whose executive committee is led by the Voice of the People Party.BJP has one member in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council — Bernard Marak — elected from Tura.Speaking after joining the party, Pariat said BJP’s potential for ‘transformative change’ was his ‘main motivation’.“Several political leaders are joining the party upon realising that only BJP can ensure development in Meghalaya,” claimed state BJP president Rikman Momin.He said central welfare schemes launched by PM Narendra Modi were driving BJP’s growing influence in rural areas of Christian-majority Meghalaya, where its ‘public acceptance’ was rising.“Under the leadership of PM Modi, BJP govt has consistently prioritised the northeast to bring the region on a par with the rest of India by accelerating the pace of development,” Momin added.
