By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The NCP has criticized Independent candidate Sounder Cajee for his comments that he was forced to contest the election by NCP president and South Shillong constituency candidate, Sanbor Shullai.
On January 24, Cajee, while speaking at Assam Club here after the Socio Political Awareness Committee (SPAC) officially fielded him as Independent candidate, said that he was compelled to contest the elections, after Shullai forced him to join the fray.
However, in a statement issued here, the General Secretary of State NCP, Constantine N Thma, on Sunday said that Cajee’s statement has amazed them.
“How can a person be influenced by another to such an extent that one can even go to the level of contesting an election without consulting his supporters and neither taking a decision of his own,” NCP asked.
“Cajee’s statement that he had never planned to contest the election but was doing so at the sitting legislator’s insistence only shows that he does not have any spine of his own to decide for himself and therefore is not fit enough to represent the people of South Shillong constituency,” the NCP leader said.
Cajee had also said that Shullai had met him at least on four occasions asking him to contest the election. Cajee also revealed that Shullai had even announced in a public rally that he was not going to contest anymore.
However, the NCP made it clear that Shullai never contacted or had any conservation with Cajee regarding elections.
According to the NCP, if Cajee was such a loyal person, who has obeyed the directives of contesting the elections on Shullai’s request, then it would have been better if he would withdraw himself from this election because of the fact that ‘Shullai is contesting this election and is confident of retaining the seat’.
The NCP further said that the whole episode only shows that Cajee is not confident of himself and he never intended to serve the people of the constituency, but is acting on the behest of somebody else.
“How can he think of representing the people of his constituency when he cannot even make a decision on his own,” the NCP general secretary questioned.
