SHILLONG: Union Minister of State Shantanu Thakur on Friday declined to confirm reports that five Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLAs from Meghalaya could soon join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying any decision on the matter rests with the party’s central leadership.Speaking to reporters, Thakur said he was not in a position to comment on speculation surrounding the reported defections.
“This is not my decision. BJP is a large party and the party leadership will decide what needs to be done. I cannot comment on it at this stage,” he said. While refraining from confirming any talks, Thakur said the BJP’s doors remain open to the Meghalaya legislators. He also linked the speculation surrounding the reported defections to what he described as growing dissatisfaction within the Trinamool Congress.
“I think the corruption within the Trinamool Congress is one of the reasons why it lost elections,” Thakur said. The Union minister added that elected representatives are welcome to attend government programmes when invited, but maintained that he could not comment on whether any of the MLAs would eventually join the BJP.
“As public representatives, they are welcome to attend government programmes whenever they are invited. But whether they will join the BJP or not is not for me to say,” he said.Reports of possible defections have fuelled political speculation in Meghalaya in recent weeks. However, neither the BJP nor the TMC legislators concerned have made any official announcement. Thakur said the BJP remained focused on development and expressed confidence that the party’s work across the country, including in the Northeast, would continue to strengthen public support. He also highlighted the Narendra Modi government’s focus on the Northeast, saying the region has received significant attention and development under the NDA administration.