SHILLONG: Even though the next assembly elections in the state are three-and-a-half years away, the recent floods appear to have re-drawn the contours of the battle for the Pynthorumkhrah seat held by Health & Family Welfare Minister and BJP leader Alexander Laloo Hek after NPP’s sitting MDC of Mawkhar-Pynthorumkhrah, Pynshngain N Syiem, said he might contest from the constituency in 2023.
Hek, who has represented the constituency for long, on Monday, slammed Pynshngain for trying to get political mileage from the flood which hit a section of Pynthorumkhrah constituency.
Talking to media persons here, Hek said, “Flood is a natural disaster. I am surprised to see that he (Pynshngain) is trying to blame me for doing nothing to control the flood. But I am not sure since flood is a natural phenomenon during the monsoon. Not only in Meghalaya, many other states like Assam and Bihar are affected by flood,” he said.
He also lambasted Pynshngain saying how can a person, who has been thrown out from Mawsynram constituency, question his efforts towards the development of the constituency.
Hek further went on to say that everyone knows that he lost the last assembly election due to his failure to work for the development of his constituency.
“If people are not satisfied with my work then they would not have elected me for the fifth consecutive term,” Hek said.
He, however, said that he is happy that he has an opponent in the form of the sitting MDC for the Pynthorumkhrah assembly seat.
“In politics, you don’t really enjoy when you do not have a strong opponent. But now I am happy that I have someone who is pushing me to work harder for the welfare and interest of the people of my constituency,” Hek said.
