In a sharp riposte to Meghalaya Congress chief Vincent H. Pala’s remark on regional front “One North East” as nothing but a BJP-RSS plan, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Tuesday hit back, alleging that the Opposition party was ‘already’ a divided house, and hence need not be further divided. “Nobody needs to work to divide them as Congress is already a divided house,” Sangma stated. The Chief Minister also said that as “One North East”, they are not here to fight against or oppose anyone since the front is here from a positive perspective of unification and to send a message of unity of a region.
“We believe that the northeastern states and communities must work together in the larger interest of the region. Only when we are united and present a united front can we be able to carry our message and serve people in a better manner,” he said. The state BJP has also objected to Pala’s statement that “One North East” is the saffron party’s ploy. BJP spokesperson Mariahom Kharkrang expressed surprise, saying that the party is deeply disturbed that a veteran politician like Pala could make such a remark without any evidence. He pointed out that the BJP governs three states in the Northeast and has representation in the NDA governments in two other states of the region. “The BJP has been voted to power over and over again owing to our good governance and inclusive development model. We earn people’s support through transparent politics, things that are alien to the Congress,” Kharkrang asserted.