BJP demands President's rule in Meghalaya

Shillong, Mar 9 (UNI) The BJP has demanded imposition of President's Rule in Meghalaya in the wake of the ''political crisis'' in the Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government.

The BJP's demand to invoke Article 356 in the state assumed significance against the backdrop of Chief Minister J D Rymbai buying time to put down his papers as directed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

In a memorandum to Governor M M Jacob, the BJP, with two MLAs in the 60-member House, said the Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government had been ''unstable'' since it had taken over in 2003.

''If the current situation is allowed to persist, Shillong by-pass and many unfinished projects will not see the light of the day,'' the BJP said.

The party said the present situation has affected governance and economic development of the state.

Last night, the four regional parties supporting the Rymbai-led government oppossed the decision of Ms Gandhi's directive asking Mr Rymbai to step down and pave the way for his predecessor D D Lapang.

The presidents of the four regional parties--United Democratic Party, Meghalaya Democratic Party, Hill State People's Democratic Party and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement would meet the Chief Minister today to convey their decision against the frequent change of guards in the state.

On March 6, Ms Gandhi, who held a closed-door meeting with Mr Rymbai at her 10 Janpath residence in Delhi in the presence of AICC in-charge(North East) Oscar Fernandes, ordered him to hand over the office to Mr Lapang.

However, Mr Rymbai defied the party diktat and said he would quit the office of chief ministership only after consulting ''loyal Congress MLAs'' and his coalition partners.

UNI