SHILLONG, OCT 26: Former National People’s Party (NPP) state president and former Rajya Sabha MP Dr W R Kharlukhi on Monday said his experience in Parliament had convinced him that being aligned with the party in power at the Centre does not necessarily translate into results for Meghalaya.

Kharlukhi said that despite meeting Union ministers and raising issues affecting the state, he often found that assurances did not lead to action. He added that he had stopped attending meetings of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Asked about his earlier position that the NPP could not effectively work with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Kharlukhi said he had initially believed that being associated with the ruling party in Delhi could help address the concerns of the people of Meghalaya.

However, he said his experience as an MP had changed that perception.

He recalled the issue of the Vice-Chancellor’s post at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), saying that when Agatha K Sangma was in the Lok Sabha and he was in the Rajya Sabha, they had written to the authorities and met Union ministers to raise their concerns.

“They listened to us, but as the old saying goes, they nod with the head but turn their back. They listen to us but work does not happen. There I realised it is not possible. I never attend NDA meetings,” Kharlukhi said.

He added that the issues raised by them often failed to receive the desired response.

On the current relationship between the NPP and BJP, Kharlukhi declined to comment, saying he was no longer associated with the NPP and that the party itself should explain its political position.

Asked to assess the performance of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government, Kharlukhi said voters had already delivered their verdict through two parliamentary elections.

He also commented on the BJP’s growth in Meghalaya, from two seats to 10, drawing a comparison with the rise of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the state.

Kharlukhi recalled that before the 2023 Assembly elections, he had been asked about the TMC after 12 Congress MLAs switched to the party. At the time, he had said the TMC had yet to be tested by voters.

He said the same principle applied to the BJP, adding that its actual political strength would become clearer when voters assess its performance in the 2028 Assembly elections.

Asked whether more NPP leaders or MLAs were in contact with him and might join the Congress, Kharlukhi said his political decisions were personal.

“When I decide to support a party, I decide on my own. When I decide to leave a party, I decide to leave on my own,” he said.