SHILLONG, OCT 25: Removing people’s “wrong perception” on the coal mining ban by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in the state will be one of the key strategies of the ruling Congress in the upcoming 2018 Assembly elections.
“The party functionaries will propagate (on the steps taken by the state government) to the lowest level to remove people’s apprehension on the NGT coal mining ban in the state,” AICC general secretary in-charge Meghalaya CP Joshi told reporters after a party meeting here.
Stating that rumours have been spread that the Congress-led government is responsible for the NGT ban in Meghalaya, he however said, “Vested interests are taking advantage because number of people are not literate with the constitutional position of NGT. But who decide, the NGT is an independent institution which decide certain things.”
He informed that the chief minister Mukul Sangma during the meeting had elaborated in details on the steps taken by the state government with regards to the ban.
The AICC top leader, who yesterday arrived in the state capital, held separate meetings with the cabinet ministers, sitting legislators, MDCs from KHADC, JHADC & GHADC and party functionaries at the Congress Bhavan here on Wednesday.
It may be mentioned here that the BJP had earlier claimed to resolve the ongoing coal mining ban by the NGT within six to eight months if it is voted to power in the forthcoming assembly elections.
Terming this as a ploy to woo the voters, Joshi said, “Let the Prime Minister Narendra Modi be in Meghalaya and announce this as he did for demonetization. If they (BJP) are so confident, they should announce it before the election. Who is stopping them when they are already three years in power (at the Centre)?”
He however said that the BJP cannot just influence the voters because the Prime Minister’s false promises have been exposed in the entire country.
The AICC leader further informed that his visit to the state was to take feedback on what are the issues that needs to be included in the manifesto and those that needs to be address during the election.
“We want to take inputs from our party functionaries and I am happy that good suggestions have been given and we will use these inputs in framing our manifesto and use the information as our strategies,” he said.
With the feedback he got, Joshi said that he is confident that the Congress will once again win the election and form the government in 2018.
He said that the party workers have given the inputs that the state government has done very effective programmes which address the issues related to livelihood of the people in the state.
“The response is very good as these programmes are benefiting the people,” he said while adding “Another major concern is that we have to impress upon the voters that the government has taken up such schemes which enhanced people’s livelihood that information will have to communicate with workers and highlight with voters.”
Asked on the BJP’s launching its Mission-40 in the state, the AICC leader however said that there is nothing new in it because the BJP for last many years have launched number of missions in every election.
“They (BJP) can have wonderful imagination and who will stop them from imagining. For last many years they are coming with these kinds of missions but what is the performance on the ground, you see the history and let me know,” he said.
With regards to the saffron party frequent meetings held with religious leaders ahead of the election, Joshi while reminding that democracy always work on ideology and commitment said, “It only reflects their position in the democracy in order to woo votes they can go to any extent.”
“They say in 2014 that they will deposit 15 lakhs in every account, have they deposited, they say will provide 2 crore jobs have they given…those party who don’t believe in parliamentary democracy can use such things,” he said adding that in parliamentary democracy the party’s policies are important which you will go to the people and ask for the vote.
Whether the upcoming elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh will be a turning point for the Congress, the AICC leader said that every election is a turning point in democracy and why should it be based only in these two upcoming elections.
Meanwhile, the AICC general secretary in-charge Meghalaya informed that the party’s election manifesto will be released after collection of feedbacks from both state government and party workers and once election is declared in the state.
By Our Reporter
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