New Delhi: A key BJP leader from North East and Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju has formally and openly invited Shillong MP Vincent Pala to quit Congress and join the saffron party.“Aap Congress chhor dijiye, hamare saath aiye, Yeh hi hamara future hae (You please leave Congress and join us. That's our future)”, Mr Rijiju told the Congress lawmaker in the Lok Sabha on Friday while participating in the debate on a Private Member's Bill pertaining to the functioning of the autonomous councils in north eastern region.
Mr Rijiju said that the Central government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given a major push to the development of the far-flung region and it is high-time that everyone work together to join the north-eastern states with the national mainstream.
The Union Minister said the government will soon bring a new Bill in Parliament that will ensure amendments in the Autonomous District Councils in the north east and provide increase in the number of members in the Councils."I have a good news to share with you all. To address all issues and lapses in the existing systemsin autonomous councils, a cabinet note has been already prepared," he has said. The Minister said: "The Constitutional Amendment proposals will be brought to the House at the earliest".
The 50-year-old Pala was first elected to the Lok Sabha from Shillong in Meghalaya in 2009 and later, he retained the crucial seat, again as a Congress nominee in 2014. But in assembly elections held earlier this year, Congress party lost power to NPP-UDP-BJP combine in Meghalaya.
Apparently, Congress party is likely to nominate Mr Pala yet again, sources said.