By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Forest and Environment Minister Prestone Tynsong on Thursday exuded confidence that the hopes of the UDP to rule the State for the next five years would remain a distant dream as the Congress would win the upcoming election with a thumping majority.
“A party like the UDP does not have the resources and capability to rule the State. If the UDP comes to power they would have no other option but to go to Delhi with a begging bowl asking for financial assistance,” he said.
“I feel sorry for the UDP since they would never get the mandate of the people to rule the State. The trend across the State is in a favour of the Congress,” Tynsong said while addressing a general meeting of the Mawphlang Block Congress Committee (MBCC) at Laitjem near Mawngap on Thursday.
Maintaining that the Congress will secure absolute majority, Tynsong said, “Even if we fail to get absolute majority, the party is surely going to win at least 28 to 29 seats. With this number the Congress can always form the next Government with the support of the Independents and smaller parties,” he said.
“The Congress would not face any problem in getting funds for development of the State since there is a Congress-led Government in the Centre,” Tynsong asserted.
“The 40 per cent jump in the annual plan outlay in the present fiscal budget is because a Congress Government is ruling the State. You may recall that the annual budget of the State during the MPA regime in 2008-2009 was only Rs 1425 crore but the present annual plan is Rs 3939 crore. This itself is an indication of how Congress governments are able to get more funds for the State,” he said.
Reiterating that the Congress can perform better if it is given the chance to rule the State on its own, Tynsong said, “In the past many years the people have not given a clear mandate to one political party. Fractured mandate would not do any good for the progress and development of the State.”
Asking people to allow the Congress to rule the State in the coming five years, he said, “I can assure that the State would reach new heights of development and progress with the Congress at the helms of affairs.”
Congress legislator from Mylliem, Ronnie V Lyngdoh, said that the State needs legislators who can formulate policies and raise issues affecting the common man of the State.
“We do not want people who know only how to distribute things to become our legislators. Such personalities do not have any policy or plan in their mind on how to serve the people,” Lyngdoh said.
Others who spoke at the meeting included Sohra legislator Dr PW Khongjee and Congress candidate from Mawphlang constituency Kennedy C Khyriem.