We will retain power in Meghalaya: Congress

Shillong: Voicing confidence that the Congress will retain power in Meghalaya, senior party leader C.P. Joshi on Wednesday said there is no space for the BJP's ideology in the state.

"Given the culture and the way of life of the people of Meghalaya, ideologically speaking, there is no space for the Bharatiya Janata Party here (Meghalaya)," he told journalists here.

Joshi, the Congress General Secretary in charge of Meghalaya affairs, has held several meetings with Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, Congress state unit President Celestine Lyngdoh and others to chart out the ruling party's strategy for the February 27 Assembly polls.

"The BJP is busy poaching candidates from other political parties and is hoping to form the next government in Meghalaya," he said.

Former Congress Minister Alexander Hek along with Nationalist Congress Party legislator Sanbor Shullai, besides independent legislators Robinus Syngkon and Justine Dkhar, had resigned as Assembly members and joined the BJP.

"We don't consider the BJP as a potential threat in Meghalaya because the state's people know how the National People's Party is hand in glove with the BJP," Joshi said.

The opposition NPP, with two MLAs, is supporting the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre and Manipur.

It is also part of BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance - a platform of major non-Congress parties - headed by Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Joshi said his party had "winning horses" in almost all Assembly constituencies and will form the next government also.

In 2013, the Congress won 29 seats and later increased the tally to 30 by winning a by-election, thus falling just one short of a simple majority in the 60-member house.