Congress's "Washing Machine" Swipe At BJP Over Support To Conrad Sangma

The Congress on Monday took a swipe at the BJP for supporting a government led by NPP chief Conrad Sangma in Meghalaya, saying a few days back his dispensation was considered the "most corrupt" by the top BJP leadership and now "in a fit of amnesia", the party is joining hands with him.

The opposition party also alleged that the "BJP washing machine" is now running full speed and it was a "marriage of convenience".

National People's Party president Sangma on Friday called on Meghalaya Governor Phagu Chauhan and submitted to him the letter of support of 32 MLAs, while staking claim to form the government in the northeastern state.

Mr Sangma, the outgoing chief minister, said he has the support of the BJP, Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) and two independent MLAs, while asserting the tally may go up in the coming days as he is in touch with other parties as well.

"A few days back Conrad Sangma's government in Meghalaya was the MOST corrupt in the country according to both PM & HM. Now of course, BJP in a fit of amnesia I suppose, is joining hands with him. Meghalaya deserves better," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a tweet.

"I should have added that BJP Washing Machine is now running full speed," Mr Ramesh said in another tweet.

Mr Ramesh also shared two videos -- one featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the other Home Minister Amit Shah -- in which they are critical of the Sangma-led Meghalaya government.

Addressing a press conference, Meghalaya Congress chief Vincent Pala said for the BJP and its allies, it is a "marriage of convenience" in the state.

"What they (the BJP) have said that the NPP is the most corrupt party in India...the prime minister has come to Meghalaya, the home minister has come to Meghalaya and the president of the BJP (J P Nadda) has come to Meghalaya, all of them abused, accused the NPP, but, after the results, when the BJP got only two seats out of 60 seats then the next day they joined hands," he said.

"So this is what the BJP is, how they fool the people of India, and how they fool the people of Meghalaya, that's why, I think...they betrayed the people," he said.

"The prime minister is coming tomorrow and all other BJP leaders to just market the BJP that they are getting a government in Meghalaya. This is totally, how they betray the people of Meghalaya and how they market to the rest of India," Pala said.

The NPP emerged as the single-largest party in the state on Thursday, bagging 26 seats out of the 59 constituencies that went to polls on February 27.

As the party fell short of the magic figure of 31 in the 60-member assembly, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Sangma sought the support of Shah in forming the new government.

The United Democratic Party (UDP), which was NPP's ally in the Sangma government, emerged as the second-largest party, winning 11 constituencies. It had won only six seats in the 2018 polls.

The Congress and the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC won five seats each, while the BJP won two assembly segments.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)