By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: As the election date draws near, the two main contenders for the Pynthorumkhrah Assembly seat — AL Hek (Congress) and PT Sawkmie (Independent) — are making all out efforts to woo the voters.
Considering that Pynthorumkhrah is a general seat both the candidates are stressing on the cosmopolitan nature of the constituency as their main agenda to impress the voters and hurling ‘blames’ on each other.
Speaking to news persons, Sawkmie said people of the area need a strong man who can stand for them.
He stated that his main priority would be to maintain peace and communal harmony in the constituency which he referred to as a ‘mini-India.’
Sawkmie, who is a former MLA of the constituency, claimed that there has been no development in the constituency in the past fifteen years except for distribution of CGI sheets and that too with so many irregularities.
He also said that non-tribal voters in the constituency have been voting for the BJP and not AL Hek.
Sawkmie also took a dig at the sitting MLA for not doing anything to safeguard the Wahumkhrah which he described as a ‘dying river’.
Meanwhile, AL Hek, who is contesting the election on a Congress ticket, told reporters that it was a common trend before the election to make allegations against candidates.
Dismissing Sawkmie’s claims of underdevelopment, Hek said, “There has been tremendous development of the constituency.”
Hek also blamed Sawkmie for not doing anything for the constituency when he was a minister.
On the recent controversy relating to distribution of CGI sheet in the constituency, Hek said he had clarified and presented every detail relating to the CGI sheets before the media.
Stating that he has ‘cosmopolitan blood’, Hek said, “I want to find out Sawkmie’s knowledge about the dharma and karma of a cosmopolitan constituency.”
When asked about the steps that needed to be taken to restore the Wahumkhrah river to its former glory, Hek said community participation was essential since an MLA or a Chief Minister, on their own, would not be able to do much to save the river.
