SHILLONG, JAN 16: The Nationalist Congress Party – a former ally of the Congress – is all set to field candidates in 42 seats in the upcoming Assembly polls even as it expressed keen interest to have an alliance with the regional forces.
“In this coming election, the NCP will be contesting in a large number of seats along with some of the regional parties whom we would be having some kind of an understanding. We will be more clear as we approach the elections in the coming weeks,” NCP national general secretary Praful Patel told reporters after laying the foundation stone for the state’s party office here on Tuesday.
Patel, who also announced the first list of six candidates during his visit, informed that the NCP will be contesting in at least 22 of the 24 seats in Garo Hills region and around 20 out of 26 seats in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region.
The candidates include former minister ECB Bamon from Mookaiaw constituency, John D Sangma from Ranikor, Tynshain Lapang from Mawhati, Ronaldson Dkhar from Nongthymmai, Predecessor Rumnong – Pynthorumkhrah and Andrew Charles Gare – Mawshynrut.
It may be mentioned that Bamon, a former NCP legislator, had left the National People’s Party (NPP) and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for few months before quitting the party.
Asked on the alliance with the regional parties, the newly appointed NCP state chief and former Gambegre legislator Saleng A Sangma said, “We have like the UDP, the HSPDP and the PDF but we will look at the better prospect.”
Stating that there will be a lot of changes which are likely to take place in Meghalaya, Patel, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, said that the NCP is definitely intending to make that change.
“We are very sure that the people of the state will look upon the NCP as their old and trusted party and under a new leadership it will be able to capture the mind and aspiration of the people,” he said.
The former union civil aviation minister also assured that the NCP, which has been present in Meghalaya since its inception, would bring good governance and a change in the political ethos of the state.
He said that no political party has been able to command the absolute number and this has led to the growth of many regional parties.
“Therefore, the people of the state should first look at the national parties and NCP as a national party is willing to offer and be a good alternative to the existing parties which are in governance today,” Patel said.
Earlier, the NCP which has only two MLAs – Sanbor Shullai and Marthon Sangma – in the 60-member House, was supporting the ruling Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA-II) government in the state.
However recently Shullai, a former MLA of South Shillong had resigned and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while Marthon, sitting MLA of Mendipathar is also on the verged of joining the Congress ahead of the Assembly polls.
Asked that the NCP has been a coalition partner of the Congress for many years, Patel however maintained that the party is on its own in the upcoming elections though it was an ally of the Congress at the centre.
“That does not mean like-minded parties from a secularism point of view cannot work together in future. But in Meghalaya I made it clear that NCP is on its own and we will chart our own course,” he said.
Meanwhile, the NCP national general secretary also slammed the present state government for failing in all fronts and pointed that the state has only witnessed “mis-governance of the highest order” under the Congress regime.
“The current state government has failed miserably to provide good governance and the people of Meghalaya seems to be disillusioned with the Congress party and they are definitely looking for a change,” he stated.
He pointed out that there have been many complaints against the Congress and the schemes that it has launched adding that the MHIS of the state government has been a total failure.
“It would have been better if that money would have been used to upgrade hospitals, clinics, provide better quality medicines, diagnostic centres across the state rather than going for this scheme which has been a total failure,” he said.
In the education sector, he also said that there has been tremendous kind of problems, the students of Meghalaya have been facing and as a consequence their career and employment opportunity have suffered in a big way.
According to him, the state government has failed to address the border issue although they have talked about it but nothing has been done substantially or tangibly on the ground.
Besides, issues like mining has not been resolved which has affected the development and economy of the state also, he said while alleging that Meghalaya in the entire NE region in term of road and other infrastructures is the most lacking to say the least.
By Our Reporter
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