SHILLONG: Days after all five Congress MLAs in Meghalaya joined the BJP-backed ruling alliance, the fuming grand old party threatened to suspend the legislators, even as a bemused saffron camp said it will seek clarification on the matter from Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.
Meghalaya Congress chief Vincent H Pala said the MLAs will also be served a show-cause notice for their conduct.
"I can tell you that the party high command is not in favour of the MLAs joining the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA). The matter is being discussed. I think they will be suspended. An explanation will also be sought as to why they should not be expelled for their action," Pala told PTI.
Meanwhile, BJP Meghalaya in-charge Chuba Ao said it will send a formal letter to Sangma for clarity over last week's development, which brought the two arch foes together in a ruling coalition.
"Congress Mukt Bharat' exercise (India free of the Congress) is already taking place, and Congress Mukt Meghalaya' is also in process," Ao said.
"As a coalition partner of the MDA, we were not informed of the development. Today, we have taken a decision that we will write a letter to the chief minister, seeking clarification on the Congress MLAs joining the ruling alliance," BJP state chief Ernest Mawrie told PTI.
Aao said although the BJP has only two MLAs in the House, it expects that information about those joining the alliance and exiting ought to be made known.
"We are confused," he added.
Asked if the BJP is happy with the development, Mawrie said, "We are not supporting the Congress, it is the Congress, which is supporting us. That is their weak point."
In a jolt to the Congress, which ruled the state for many years and was a formidable opposition with 17 MLAs, 12 of its lawmakers, including the redoubtable former chief minister Mukul Sangma, defected to the Trinamool Congress in November last year.
The five remaining members of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) joined the ruling alliance on February 8, in a reflection of the party's diminishing influence in the state.