From Our Correspondent
NONGSTOIN: On Thursday, a historic meeting was held in Rambrai where people to the tune of over 3000 attended the meeting.
The meeting was called by dissident members of the Congress from Rambrai- Jyrngam AC and by the NPP. The meeting was chaired by BS Mawtyllup vice president of the Rambrai- Jyrngam Block Congress Committee (RJBCC) was able to gather more than 1500 people from the Congress and from the NPP who had shifted their support from the Congress to Kimfa Marbaniang, an Independent candidate from the AC.
Bormanding Nonglang, President of the Mawdoh Zone Congress, under the Rambrai-Jyrngam AC slammed the Congress for disrespecting the rights of the people by allotting the party ticket to Kingford Kharsyntiew. He said that the ticket allotment had shocked him and forced him to abandon the party. He assured the people that the Congress would not win a single seat from West Khasi Hills in this forth coming election.
HK Chandy, General Secy of the RJBCC said that the ticket announcement on January 7, came as a rude shock to the people of Rambrai. The decision of the AICC and the MPCC compelled him to resign from the party and that the party in Rambrai was now without a leader, Chandy said. He alleged that Kingford was even unaware of all the Primary Units in the AC. He added that it was failure on the part of the Congress high level committee to recognise the right candidate.
Valentine Wahlang, Advisor to the NPP of Rambrai- Jyrngam AC, had said that during campaign, they had amassed 1500-2000 supporters who had willingly extended their support to the NPP. He informed that they had even decided to choose a candidate for the upcoming polls. He said that when they saw Kimfa having been denied the party ticket and finally decided to contest as an Independent candidate, they decided to support him.
After the ticket allotment, there was a lot of resentment about the candidate, president of the Youth Congress Rambrai- Jyrngam AC, Phrangbor Marngar said. He confessed that the State Youth Congress even offered him a high post in the party.
As a mark to show that they had all together resigned from the Youth Congress, Phrangbor folded the flag of the Indian Youth Congress before the mammoth gathering. While folding the flag, he anounced that all the 470 members of the Youth Congress of Rambrai- Jyrngam AC had collectively resigned from the Congress and are now supporters of Kimfa.
Kimfa Marbaniang in his speech said that the Congress party ticket was not greater than the love and support of the people of the area. He accused the Congress of betraying the verdict and aspirations of the people of the AC. He questioned the MPCC as to how Kingford was allotted the ticket when he did not secure even a single vote.
Assuring the mass gathering Kimfa said that if elected, he would work diligently and would ensure that Rambrai got its share of development. He also told the people that even the Govt of Meghalaya was not formed by a single party but by a coalition of various parties, including Independent MLAs. He also said that most of the candidates are not locals to the area and are giving tall and false promises to the people, he further urged the people to not be misled and to support the candidate who is strong and who has the capacity to bring about development to the areas that are lagging behind in all aspects.
Out of the 1500 that joined Kimfa, the notable ones are BS Mawtyllup Vice President of the RJBCC, Iorin Marwein Treasurer RJBCC, HK Chandy GS RJBCC, M Lyngdoh Secy RJBCC and the entire executive members of the RJBCC except the president JTS Thongni. Also the entire executive members of the Mahila Congress including the president Bianglin Wanniang, vice president Tirian Wanniang, vice president Kyntiew Nonglang, GS Sirianlina Marwein. All the executive members of the Youth Congress including its president Phrangbor Marngar.