Meghalaya opposition parties form alliance, rule out tie-up with BJP

Shillong: The opposition Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the United Democratic Party, which have formed a pre-poll alliance, on Tuesday declared they would not have any truck with the BJP or the Congress.

HSPDP spokesman Londoner M Sohtun said that Chief Minister Mukul Sangma was in a "confused state of mind" with the emergence of the pre-poll alliance.

"It seems the Chief Minister is now confused since people of the state have shifted their focus to the alliance of the two regional parties. His statement is only to spread false propaganda about the alliance," Sohtun said.

Sangma, veteran Congress legislator, had earlier claimed the pre-poll alliance would lead to a back-door alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"From the beginning, we have made up our mind we will not have any alliance with either the BJP or Congress," Sohtun said.

The HSPDP spokesman recalled that there were talks about Sangma joining the BJP.

Pointing out the HSPDP is not a member of the BJP-led North East Development Alliance (NEDA), Sohtun said: "NEDA has nothing to do with the HSPDP-UDP alliance and the HSPDP is not an alliance of the NEDA as claimed by Sangma. But it is very clear the Chief Minister and Congress party are exasperated with the emergence of the regional parties alliance."

Echoing a similar view, Leader of Opposition and UDP chief Donkupar Roy said he is amused by the Chief Minister's views. 

"We believe either in a pre-poll alliance or post-poll alliance and there is nothing like back-door or front-door alliance," he added.

Roy also made it clear the UDP is not having any pre-poll alliance with the BJP for the elections to the 60 members Meghalaya Assembly scheduled to be held in February-March next year.

"The Chief Minister is very desperate after formation of the UDP-HSPDP alliance. Why should Mukul Sangma blame regional parties for the rise of the BJP? It is the failure of the Congress party which gave rise to the BJP both at the Centre and state," he said.