By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Taking a dig at his main opponent Mohendro Rapsang, UDP working president Paul Lyngdoh, who is contesting from the Shillong West constituency in the upcoming Assembly election, said that democracy is being threatened by the plutocracy of rich businessmen who are joining politics with ulterior motives.
Kicking off his election campaign at Mawprem on Saturday, Lyngdoh said that his contest would be against a wealthy businessman with huge money power.
“My fight would be to retain people’s democracy in my constituency,” he said.
Stating that democracy as pioneered by former American president late Abraham Lincoln is the rule of the people, Lyngdoh said that plutocracy on the other hand is the rule of the rich, by the rich and for the rich as defined in the dictionary.
According the UDP working president, majority of the population in the State comes from a poor background.”Entry of businessmen into politics would further add to the miseries of the poor people. These businessmen have entered politics with some hidden agenda,” Lyngdoh said.
While citing the case in Jaintia Hills, he said that the people of Jaintia Hills are suffering since majority of the constituencies are being represented by businessmen for the past ten years.
“The people of Jaintia Hills are crying since no legislator is bothered to address their miseries. Majority of the legislators there are busy lobbying for the interests of the coal barons and cement plants,” Lyngdoh said.
Former Congress MDC from Jaiaw, Martamlin Pyrbot, said that the Congress is claiming to be a party which represents the poor and downtrodden.
“But the fact that the Congress is actually looting the poor by increasing the price of fuel and essential commodities,” Pyrbot said.
After the meeting, Lyngdoh also took out a rally in various areas in the constituency like
Lower Mawprem, Upper Mawprem, Mawbah, Lumsohphoh, Quallapatty, Lama Villa, Sunny Hills, Lumdiengjri, Jaiaw Langsning, which culminated at Eidgah ground at Bishop Falls, Mawprem.
Meanwhile, the UDP will meet on Monday to finalize the party manifesto. The UDP working president Paul Lyngdoh said that the focus of the party would be on the needs of Meghalaya and not the programmes being initiated by the compulsion of Delhi politics.