'CM Sangma Scared After Amit Shah's Meghalaya Visit': BJP On Govt Denying Permit For PM's Rally

Meghalaya Election: The government's decision to deny permission to the BJP to host PM Modi's election rally has further soured relations between the saffron party and its ally NPP.

The PA Sangma stadium became a subject of controversy after the project did not mention that it was funded by the Centre under PM Modi

Source : Pallav Bora

The Meghalaya government's decision to deny permission to the BJP to host Prime Minister Narendra Modi's election rally at the newly constructed PA Sangma Stadium has further soured relations between the saffron party and its ally National People's Party (NPP).

The stadium is located in Chief Minister Conrad Sangma's home constituency South Tura in West Garo Hills district.

Since 2018, the BJP has been a junior partner in the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government. Ahead of the elections, the two parties decided to go solo. Since then, the NPP and BJP have been engaged in a bitter war of words.

The BJP has called the NPP's decision to deny PM Modi's rally a big insult and condemnable act, saying the stadium was funded by the Central government.

"Conrad Sangma is scared after Amit Shah visited Meghalaya. So, he is trying to sabotage PM Modi's visit. Earlier, I had raised questions on the under construction stadium being inaugurated, yet they did it in December 2022. When we asked for permission to hold PM Modi's rally in the stadium, they stated that it is not ready to be handed over to hold such a big rally," BJP's Meghalaya vice president Bernard Marak told ABP Live.

READ | Meghalaya Polls: State Congress Chief Richest In Fray Among Other 'Crorepati' Candidates

Bernard Marak is contesting the Assembly elections from the South Tura constituency, locking horns with Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. 

Marak said the move was a big conspiracy to sabotage the PM's rally because NPP was scared of being exposed.

"The question now is how they inaugurated the stadium if it was incomplete. The funding was done by the Centre yet they are not allowing the PM's rally in the stadium. It is an attempt to divert the crowd to some other place like the Jingal airport, which is at a distance of 30 kilometers from the town. All the vehicles for the rally are already ready," he further said.

The veteran BJP leader further alleged that the NPP government was scared that the Prime Minister would learn about the scams going on in the Chief Minister's constituency.

"How corrupt Conrad Sangma was, how corrupt the state was, and how corrupt the system was in implementing the central schemes. People have not received benefits of the Central schemes so they wanted to meet PM Modi and express their grievances. Entire funds have been siphoned by the Chief Minister and his contractor friends," Marak said. 

Taking a swipe at the BJP, Congress said the saffron party was well aware about the corruption going on in the state but kept silent as they were part of the government.

"The NPP has resorted to unaccountable corruption. The Congress-led Central government during its rule had initiated several projects in the state but the present MDA government did not complete any of the projects, leave alone the PA Sangma Stadium," Congress' Donbosh N Sangma, president, West Garo Hills District, told ABP Live.

"How can the district administration be blamed for not allowing the Prime Minister of the country to hold a rally at the stadium when it is yet to be handed over to the local administration, with Conrad Sangma still being the caretaker Chief Minister of the state," Donbosh Sangma questioned. 

CM Sangma said his government had no role to play in denying permission for the Prime Minister's rally.

"All permissions come from the Election Commission of India and based on its direction, the district administration takes action. So there is no say from the NPP or my side and dragging our name into it is completely wrong. Even I haven't got permission for many of my rallies," Sangma told the media on Monday. 

"PM Modi's rally is bound to have a huge crowd. So, I feel that the district administration may have felt that if too many people come, it will damage the natural turf. Moreover, there is no parking there," the CM added. 

The PA Sangma stadium became a subject of controversy after the project did not mention that it was funded by the Centre under PM Modi. Only the names of CM Sangma, his sister Agatha Sangma and brother James Sangma were mentioned all around the stadium.

Prime Minister Modi is now scheduled to campaign in Meghalaya’s capital Shillong and Garo Hills headquarters Tura on February 24.