TURA, MAY 2: Congress candidate Dikkanchi D. Shira on Monday launched her aggressive campaign for the upcoming Lok
Sabha bye-election for Tura parliamentary constituency, slated for May 16.
Shira addressed several rallies in Dadenggre constituency, which is represented by National People’s Party (NPP) candidate Conrad K. Sangma’s brother James in the Meghalaya legislative assembly.
Trying to connect with electorates at NPP stronghold, Shira spoke on BJP and NPP alliance and its impact, which she said can be disastrous for Garo hills.
“NPP has an alliance with the BJP at the centre and if Conrad is elected as MP, he will have to listen to BJP high command”, she said.
Hitting out at BJP, the Congress candidate said, “We represent the oldest secular party. The Congress is in opposition at the centre, it is important that Garo hills elects a candidate, who can defend and protect the interest of the minorities and strengthened the party”.
Ridiculing the NPP propaganda, she said that she is not a green horn in politics. “My late father Ira R. Marak was a politician, my husband is a politician and I am a politician. I have grown old in politics”.
Shira is presently the legislator from Mahendraganj constituency. Her father was a former legislator of Meghalaya legislative assembly, who died in a chopper crash in 2004. i husband Mukul Sangma, who is spearheading her campaign in different parts of Garo hills, is the chief minister of the state.
She alleged that former speaker and MP from Tura late PA Sangma after he parted ways with the Congress never extended cooperation to the state and posed hurdle, when the state government submitted development projects to the centre.
“The Congress ruled state government has been working tirelessly to boost infrastructure development in the state”, she added. She said that if elected as MP, her role would be to work hand in hand with the state to ensure that centre accords priority for state government projects.
Talking about law and order, she said that the present state government has been able to neutralize insurgency in Garo hills. On sympathy wave, she said that it would not work in Garo hills.
“After the demise of Captain Williamson Sangma (founding chief minister of Meghalaya), his son had contested election but was defeat. We have seen several elections after the demise of sitting legislators but the voters have not been keen to elect anyone from their family”, she said.-From Our Correspondent
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