Shillong: The ruling Congress in Meghalaya on Saturday dared the National People's Party to sever ties with the BJP-led NDA, a day after the NPP defended its poll independence from the BJP in the state while remaining an ally at the Centre.

The Congress said the NPP, "which cannot hide its close association with the BJP, was so desperate and nervous" that it went to the extent of projecting Janata Dal (United) leader and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar as the next Prime Minister, despite having an alliance with the BJP, supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and working with it in other states.

"The fact remains that the NPP is supporting the BJP. Why is there sudden embarrassment now? If they say the NPP is not with the BJP, then why don't they leave the NDA?" AICC media-coordinator Bobbeeta Sharma said.

Congress minister and party spokesperson Ronnie V. Lyngdoh said the NPP was also working with the BJP in North East Democratic Alliance, a coalition formed by the BJP with regional parties.

Claiming that the NPP is a proxy of the BJP, the Congress said the BJP had invited NPP leaders from Jaiñtia and Garo hills to Guwahati to decide on their candidates. It said, "...the BJP shifted its weak candidate Banteilang Rumnong from Sohra to Pynursla as a deal to help NPP candidate Prestone Tynsong in Pynursla. Their (NPP's) close alliance with the BJP is clear from all their actions and facts on the ground."

The statement also quoted Shillong MP and PCC working president Vincent H. Pala as saying, "The NPP is trying very hard to convey to the people of Meghalaya that it is fighting the BJP in the state. But the people of the state are intelligent and cannot be fooled by such false claims."

The Congress dubbed the NPP and the BJP as "two sides of the same coin" and added, "To say that they are not together is all hogwash".

Lyngdoh said the BJP makes big claims of getting a majority when it could not field candidates in all the 60 seats. Asked why the Congress had not announced candidates from all the 60 seats, Lyngdoh said, "We are not like the BJP. We don't pick any Tom, Dick and Harry. We screen our candidates because we fight to win, unlike the BJP which is fielding candidates just for the sake of it."

"This time, the party has not given tickets to businessmen or contractors but has preferred professionals because legislators are meant to legislate laws and debate in Assembly and not do business," Lyngdoh said. He said the NPP would get "single digit" in the polls.