NPP won't have pre-poll pact with BJP in any state

Shillong, March 13 (IANS) Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Wednesday said the National People's Party (NPP) will have no pre-poll alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in any state for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

"The NPP has been very clear on its stand that we are a party that has its own identity, ideology. Therefore, we will fight the election on our own terms in the states, and we will contest in states where we feel it is appropriate," he told journalists.

Sangma said that the NPP had also sent clear message to the BJP General Secretary In-charge of North East, Ram Madhav, at a meeting held on Tuesday with the Chief Ministers from Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya that it will not stitch any pre-poll alliance with the BJP.

"We are working towards fielding candidates in all the 25 Lok Sabha seats across the north-eastern states. It is not practically possible for us to immediately field candidates, but wherever we get a positive response and wherever it is possible to organise our party in a short period, we will field a candidate," he said.

On the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, Sangma said: "We have been very clear from day one that if this Bill is passed, we are going to sever our ties with BJP and NDA. However, that did not happen and most probably it was because of the discussion that took place between the NDA partners and the BJP that led to a situation that the BJP reconsidered and did not bring that Bill."

Voicing confidence that people have complete faith in the party and the leadership, Sangma said: "We are very confident that we will win the Tura Lok Sabha seat no matter who the candidate is... People have complete faith in the party, candidate and the leadership. Therefore, we are very confident that we will emerge victorious in this election."

Reacting to the NPP legislators quitting his party in Arunachal Pradesh, ahead of the April 11 Assembly elections, the Chief Minister said: "It is very unfortunate that this has happened. The MLAs there had come from the PPA (People's Party of Arunachal); they joined the NPP and left."

"It sends a very wrong signal and the people will judge individuals (party hoppers) who do that. It doesn't reflect well on them. But this is an individual decision and I have nothing to comment," Sangma said.