BJP not likely to give more than 1 seat to Sangma NCP

The breakaway faction of the NCP headed by P.A. Sangma, which has moved closer to the NDA, may not be able to get more than one seat from th...

The breakaway faction of the NCP headed by P.A. Sangma, which has moved closer to the NDA, may not be able to get more than one seat from the BJP.

The constituency where the BJP is sure of not putting up a candidate of its own is Tura in Meghalaya, the seat which Sangma has been holding for several terms. Tura is one of the two Lok Sabha seats in Sangma’s home state Meghalaya, the other being Shillong.

Sources in the NCP here, however, said Sangma had already staked his claim to at least five of the 14 constituencies in Assam, apart from asking for at least one seat in Manipur and another in Arunachal Pradesh.

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‘‘Though the NCP has sought five of the 14 seats in Assam, we find no reason why we should adjust seats with the party that does not have any strong existence in the state,’’ said BJP’s Assam unit general secretary V. Satish, who is also in-charge of the party’s Northeastern affairs.

But Sangma is confident he would get some more seats from the BJP. ‘‘I have been in touch with the PM and other leaders regarding seat-sharing in the North-East,’’ he said.