The Bhumjaithai Party is approaching Buddhipongse Punnakanta to help it receive more votes in Bangkok in the next general election, according to party leader Anutin Charnvirakul.
Mr Anutin on Tuesday confirmed talks with Mr Buddhipongse, a former Palang Pracharath Party list-MP, to convince him to help Bhumjaithai garner seats in Bangkok in the next election. Mr Buddhipongse remained undecided as details of the offer needed to be considered, he added.
Speculation about Mr Buddhipongse joining Bhumjaithai has been rife in recent days as Mr Anutin said last Wednesday that his party hoped to have MPs representing the capital.
Bhumjaithai did not win a seat in Bangkok in the last election on March 24, 2019.
Mr Buddhipongse played a key part in the Bangkok campaign for the ruling Palang Pracharath Party, banking on his role in the street protests against the Pheu Thai Party-led government that led to the military coup engineered by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), led by then army chief Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, on May 22, 2014.
In December last year, the Constitutional Court ruled Mr Buddhipongse and other four co-leaders of the now-defunct People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) had lost their status as MPs.
The ruling came after the Criminal Court in February last year handed down jail sentences to various people, including Mr Buddhipongse, for seven years for their roles in the PDRC protests. They were released on bail pending appeal. Prior to the ruling, Mr Buddhipongse served as digital economy and society minister.
Since the court case of Mr Buddhipongse has not been finalised, Mr Anutin said the role of Mr Buddhipongse in Bhumjaithai needed to be decided, so he could help the party to win seats in Bangkok.
