NEW DELHI: Ahead of the assembly elections in the Northeast state of Meghalaya, as many as four MLAs from the state joined the BJP.
The joining of the four Meghalaya MLAs came as a boost for the BJP which is looking towards expanding its footprint in Northeast.
Out of the four MLAs, two were from the ruling NPP in Meghalaya, one from the TMC and the other an independent legislator.
The four Meghalaya MLAs to join the BJP are: Benedic Marak and Ferlin Sangma from the NPP, Samuel M Sangma (independent) and Himalaya Muktan Shangpliang (TMC).
The four Meghalaya MLAs joined the BJP on Wednesday in New Delhi in the presence of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
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Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also the convenor of Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA), has termed the joining of the Meghalaya MLAs to BJP as a “new beginning” for the saffron party in the state.
The four Meghalaya MLAs later also met BJP national president JP Nadda.
Notably, the BJP had won two seats out of the total 60 in the Meghalaya assembly in the 2018 elections.