SHILLONG, NOV 1: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has claimed that the ruling Congress will cross the 30 mark in 2018 despite senior leaders of the party have decided not to contest the upcoming assembly poll.
“We are well ahead of absolute majority. You can have your own analysis without accepting what I say. My analysis is practical and scientific, that’s why I am saying,” Sangma told reporters here on Wednesday.
The Congress has suffered yet another setback as Deputy Chief Minister R C Laloo has decided not to contest in the 2018 assembly elections owing to personal constraints.
Laloo had informed the Jowai Block Congress Committee of his decisions yesterday citing personal reasons for the decision and to give way to younger leaders to take the mantle.
Last month, Health Minister Roshan Warjri had also informed her supporters of her decision not to contest the upcoming poll due to personal problems.
Laloo had already faced opposition from within the party as his colleague in the cabinet Sniawbhalang Dhar had publicly announce that he is supporting the candidature of his brother in law W Shylla for party tickets.
While Dhar was removed from the cabinet following the announcement, chief minister has downplayed Laloo’s decision while reacting to a query what does it indicates for the Congress with senior leaders not contesting the upcoming election.
“They have decided we will look for paving the way for someone else and Prof Laloo has been doing it for quite some time, and he has been telling that he wanted to groom somebody younger. Though those were not shared with the leaders but it has been shared with me,” he said.
According to the chief minister, “It indicates that the chief minister and ministers have discussed. They have told me they have briefed me why they don’t want to contest. There are some personal reasons also… considering their own personal constraints and difficulties, (they have also given a thought) whether they will be able to still continue to do justice to the kind of responsibility with which an elected representative has been vested.”
Whether this will not create a vacuum because these are sure seats for the party, Sangma however said that the party will have to look at this whole exercise.
“We will have to look at a mechanism which will ensure that we have a smooth transition that people elect our nominee whoever is presented before the people,” he said.
To another query, the chief minister said that rebels will always be there in Meghalaya and the state probably is one of the states where you have activities of rebels from the day of inception of the state, which have paid the price because of rebels.
“Same people will rebel against one particular leader, and then they will support one leader, then come back and support the earlier leader against whom they have rebelled. This is what we have seen, so how will you interpret their habitual behaviour of being dissident or being rebel, and for what reason. If the reason is because of the leader, then why do they again support the same leader? So you see, the state has suffered. You love the state, people love this state and you love the people. Now why should be allow the state to continue to be subjected that kind of situation which is the reason for tardy pace of development, dislocation of development, and growth and prosperity,” he said.
It may also be mentioned here that at least five sitting Congress MLAs have decided to join other political parties to contest in the upcoming poll and had even blamed the chief minister as the reason.
These include former deputy chief minister Rowell Lyngdoh, two former ministers – Prestone Tynsong and Sniawbhalang Dhar, Umroi MLA Ngaitlang Dhar and PN Syiem, a Congress suspended member from Mawsynram.
On this, Sangma said, “You go and ask the people. That is their personal opinion. I have detailed data, these are their personal opinion. If someone doesn’t like me, how can I force them to like me?”
Anti incumbency: chief minister also asserted that the anti-incumbency is more against the MLAs than the government.
“So far as anti incumbency is concerned against the government, I tell you there is more anti incumbency against the MLAs than the government,” he said.
According to him, there are two types of anti incumbency, one against the government and the other against the MLAs.
He added that even if there is no anti incumbency against government there is against the MLA. We know what kind of anti-incumbency factor, for what issues. Anti incumbency is based on lack of satisfaction, the performance of the government.
Election manifesto: Sangma informed that in the last meeting, he has already task this job to one committee which is examining the manifesto of the party for the 2018 poll.
“I have personally done it about the ultimate implementation and expectation from the government will be based on the manifesto,” he said.
Asked whether the people expectation on issue of influx and illegal immigrant would reflect in the manifesto, the chief minister said that this issue has been there in the manifesto in 2013 Assembly election.
“It is there and what we have said, we will place a comprehensive to deal with this issue and we are already working on it. We have already enacted a law and the implement of this law is in the process. So there are multiple interventions and that’s why we say comprehensive mechanism, and we are not talking that we will do, but we are already doing and people already aware of that. We are not saying just for the sake of seeking the mandate,” he said.
According to him, the Supreme Court had also pronounced that the political party that has been given the mandate to form the government, their duty bound is guided by the promises they made in the manifesto, which should be the guiding principle for the overall development, their agenda and overall governance.
According to him, why do people vote, because they are expecting actions on your promises and gave you the mandate? If you not implementing the promises, then you are cheating the people and people will lose faith in democracy.
Sangma further claimed that most of the promises made in 2013, have been attended to by the state government and most of them are already visible on the ground.
By Our Reporter
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