SHILLONG, Sept 6: Former cabinet minister JA Lyngdoh on Tuesday quit the BJP for sidelining and ostracizing him for the past four and a half years.

In his resignation submitted to the BJP state president Ernest Mawrie on Tuesday, Lyngdoh said, “…I do hereby resign from the party with immediate effect. I may highlight that the main reason for this resignation is because for the last 4 and a half years, I have felt sidelined, insulted and ostracized from the party, not once, not twice but time and again.”

Lyngdoh said he has always strived to work for the betterment of the party and has always worked to uplift its core value ever since he joined in 2016.

“I have seen the potential that the party had in bringing about positive and progressive change to our state,” he said while claiming “the tough and difficult task that was given to me by Nalin Kohli Ji and Ram Madhav Ji to try and pull in prominent sitting MLAs to join the BJP before the election of 2018 was wholeheartedly done by me in all my ability and capability wherein 4 sitting MLAs namely – Sanbor Shullai, A L Hek, Robinius Syngkon and Justin Dkhar joined.”

Stating that the recent and also not so recent turn of events have compelled him to resign, Lyngdoh said, “Under your leadership as the President of the party, I have felt a sense of dismay and unfortunately a sense of betrayal as well. This is evident from the very onset of you favoring a then fellow party member Rocky Hek as candidate from 17th North Shillong after my defeat. Time and again, I have initiated a meeting and a talk with you but it was never materialised. After Rocky Hek resigned this year, I have again tried to materialise a meeting, but to no avail.”

He continued: “What has saddened and shooked my loyalty to the party, is the very fact that a few members of the party and yourself projected Martamlin Pyrbot for candidature and were present in the formation of the 17th North Mandal Committee whereas it was quite ironic because the Mandal Committee formed by me ,which was convened to be approved in 17th North Shillong was cancelled by the same people at the very last moment.”

“I was informed by Sanbor Shullai that he was told to deliberately and intentionally not turn up at my residence. This was a matter of great inconvenience and disappointment to myself, my supporters and Karyakartas,” he added.

He, however, thanked Shibun Lyngdoh, the former BJP President, for entrusting him with a goal and a vision.

“A vision of good governance, wherein I had taken up many issues with the Central leadership like standing up for the Christian community when the event of Good Governance and Digital Day was co-inciding with the auspicious day of Christmas for the Christians. It eventually led to the celebration of the event for a week rather than on the 25th alone and also the Beef Ban issue to name a few. It was because of the goodwill and teamwork with Shibun that we as a party were able to grow,” he said.