Shillong, Aug 10: National People’s Party (NPP) national vice president and deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong on Wednesday asked the opposition All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) legislators to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2023 assembly elections in the state.

“I think they (AITC) need to join BJP, it would be better for them. It is good if they join BJP pre-elections,” Tynsong told reporters when responding to a query about the prospect of the AITC as a new entrant to Meghalaya politics in 2023.

“If Dr Mukul Sangma and Charles Pyngrope wanted my advice, we can sit down with them and we will advise them that pre-elections join the BJP,” he added.

Refusing to point out the reason behind the sudden advice, Tynsong said, “Why should I further detail it, why should I elaborate on that…I don’t know but I have already said pre-elections it will be better if they join BJP.”

The NPP leader further alleged that Dr Mukul Sangma’s prediction for 2023 will be “zero”.

“I think you remember very correctly, Mukul that time when he was chief minister of Meghalaya from 2010 to 2018. After 2010, then we went for election in 2013, his prediction was correct, 2013-2018 his prediction had totally failed, 2018-2023 his prediction is zero. That’s it,” he said.