Meghalaya elections: PM Modi denied permission to land in Tura stadium, BJP calls it a ‘big insult’

Meghalaya elections: The Meghalaya government denied permission to the BJP to host Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election rally at the P A Sangma Stadium in Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s home constituency of South Tura in West Garo Hills district. This further soured the relationship between the allies-turned foes National People’s Party (NPP) BJP.

The BJP has been a junior partner in the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government since 2018. However, the two parted ways ahead of the elections and decided to fight for the 60-member Assembly separately.

‘It is condemnable’

“It is a big insult,” said Earnest Mawrie, the state unit president of the BJP about denial of permission. “This stadium was funded by the BJP-led Central government. Imagine denying permission to the Prime Minister of the country. Condemnable.”

On Monday, CM Conrad Sangma denied the allegations and said that his government had “no role to play” in denying permission for the PM’s rally. “All permissions come from the side of the Election Commission of India, and based on its direction, the district administration takes action. So there is no say from the NPP or my side; dragging our name into it is completely wrong. Even I haven’t got permission for many of my rallies,” Sangma said on Monday.

BJP national secretary and northeast co-in-charge Rituraj Sinha said attempts are on to stall the BJP wave in Meghalaya. "Be it Congress, NPP or TMC, all are completely surprised by the Modi wave and saffron surge in Meghalaya.”

Largest pre-engineered composite stadium

P A Sangma stadium, named after the former chief minister and the father of Conrad Sangma, was inaugurated by CM Conrad Sangma on December 16 last year. The football ground is the country’s largest pre-engineered composite stadium and the first natural ground of international standards in the state.

Sangma said the BJP was making it into a “big issue”. “But we have already said in the beginning that the stadium has two parts. The first part consists of the football stadium, which is ready and it was inaugurated. The other part, which has an indoor stadium and swimming pool, is not ready and we had made it clear. Only half is ready and the other part is not ready,” Sangma said.

He added that PM Modi’s rally is bound to have a “huge crowd”. “So, I feel that the district administration may have felt that if too many people come, it will damage the natural turf. Also there is no parking there,” Sangma said.

‘NPP trying to stall Modi wave’

Rituraj Sinha said it was “amusing” to see that the stadium was declared “incomplete and unavailable” for the PM’s rally, just two months after inauguration. “Are Conrad Sangma and Mukul Sangma scared of us? They are trying to stall the BJP’s wave in Meghalaya,” he was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, the BJP was considering an alternative venue at the Alotgre Cricket Stadium. “As the P A Sangma stadium is ‘still under construction’, the application was forwarded to the Sports Department, Shillong, by the returning officer. They have communicated that it will not be fit to host such a big gathering, with construction going on and materials still on the site that may pose safety concerns,” said Swapnil Tembe, District Election Officer.

PM Modi is scheduled to campaign in Shillong and Tura on February 24.  Wjile the BJP got two seats in the 2018 election, it is “seriously” contesting all 60 seats this year.

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