In what comes as a major setback for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has been riding high after consecutive victories in the country’s general elections, Sri Lanka’s Election Commission Chairman Nimal Punchihewa on Monday categorically stated India’s ruling party cannot set up a political unit in the island nation as the country’s electoral law does not permit such an arrangement.
Punchihewa said,“any Sri Lankan political party or group is permitted to have external links with any party or group overseas”.
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“But our electoral laws do not permit overseas political parties to work here,” PTI quoted Punchihewa as saying.
The comments assume significance as Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb reportedly said earlier on Saturday the BJP was planning to extend its footprint in Sri Lanka and Nepal while asserting his party deeply valued the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) partnership.
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He said India’s Home Minister Amit Shah, when serving as the BJP national president, had told party leaders the party would establish rule in other regional countries as part of ‘Atmanirbhar South Asia’ initiative.