BJP to expand abroad? Sri Lanka's Election Commissioner takes note; explains the terms

Sri Lanka on Monday responded to Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb's remarks that India's ruling party BJP has plans to expand its footprint in the neighbouring island nation and Nepal. Sri Lanka's Election Commission Chairman Nimal Punchihewa shot down reports saying the country's electoral law does not permit such an arrangement.

"Any Sri Lankan political party or group is permitted to have external links with any party or group overseas. But, our electoral laws do not permit overseas political parties to work here," Punchihewa told reporters. Interestingly, last year, President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa's brother, Basil, had said he envisioned modelling the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna either on the lines of the BJP or the Communist Party of China, PTI reported. 

According to a report in news portal East Mojo, during a party program in Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan on Saturday, Deb said that former BJP president Amit Shah during his visit to Tripura, in a tea party with the state leadership, said that he plans to establish the party in neighbouring countries after winning in most of the states in India.

READ | Delhi Police alleges 'Disha, Nikita Jacob & Shantanu created toolkit'; reveals R-Day plot

READ | Can we not say anything for a while?: Disha Ravi-Greta Thunberg's 'toolkit' WhatsApp chat

'Now Sri Lanka and Nepal is left'

“We were talking in the state guest house when Ajay Jamwal (North-East Zonal Secretary of BJP) said that BJP has formed its government in several states of India, in reply Shah said, Now Sri Lanka and Nepal is left. We have to expand the party in Sri Lanka, Nepal and win there to form a government,” the Chief Minister said quoting the Union Home Minister.

According to the report, Deb said it was only under the leadership of Amit Shah that the BJP became the world’s largest party. "The communist had claimed that their party was the largest in the world, which Amit Shah broke by making BJP the largest party in the world. Deendayal Upadhyaya’s party, Shyama Prasad’s party, Prishtha Pramukh’s party," Deb added.

"The BJP will change the trend of change of government between the Left and the Congress every five years in Kerala and emerge as the winner in the southern state as well," he said. It is not immediately clear how serious Deb was about Shah's purported remarks.

READ | West Bengal: DYFI, SFI thrash Kolkata Police officials over death of Left activist

READ | BJP ministers slam Congress neta's 'liquor help' to farmers protests: 'Can't revive Cong'