SHILLONG, SEPT 15: BJP state president Rikman G Momin on Tuesday said the party’s central leadership will decide on the candidate for the Shillong Lok Sabha by-election and on the reported move of eight UDP legislators to join the BJP.
Momin said the state unit has forwarded the list of aspirants for the Shillong seat to the central leadership.
“It will be decided by the central leadership. Names are there. We have a total of 9 names. We have already called for applications and we have submitted them to the Centre. The Centre will take the decision,” he said on the Gambegre bypoll.
The state BJP president said there has been no official communication from the Centre regarding UDP MLAs joining the party.
“No, we have not fixed it yet. We don’t know whether they are ready to join or not. They may be having discussions with the central leadership. So right now we don’t have any intimation from the Centre,” Momin said.
He dismissed suggestions that the state leadership was being neglected in the process.
“No, state leadership is not neglected. Who says state leadership is neglected? Certain things which the Centre has to do,” he added.

