By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: In what is being viewed as a pleasant change Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma landed in a chopper at Mairang, West Khasi Hills on Thursday without any kind of security cover.
The Chief Minister, who is known to move with a dozen plus security personnel wherever he goes, was all alone when he attended the public rally to campaign in favour of Congress candidate Dr Eureka P Lyngdoh.
Thousands of Congress supporters, who waited nearly three hours for the arrival of the Chief Minister, were quite happy to interact freely with Dr Sangma without any hindrance.
Many of the young people looked very excited after having got the opportunity to shake hands with the Chief Minister.
“This is our first experience to be able to see the Chief Minister from a very close distance,” a young voter from Mairang, R Hujon, told reporters on Thursday.
Hujon said he was surprised when he saw Dr Sangma emerge from the chopper without any security personnel around him.
The Chief Minister, who was visibly moved on seeing the response of the people, said that he had never expected that such a large number of people would be waiting for his arrival.
“I apologize for my delay since I had to wait for the chopper to pick me up from Tura. I would also like to thank each and everyone for showing patience,” Dr Sangma told the gathering.
The Chief Minister who was supposed to land at Mairang at 3 pm arrived two hours late.
Sources revealed that the Chief Minister had to wait for the chopper since it had first gone to drop AICC general secretary in charge Meghalaya Mukul Wasnik, MPCC president DD Lapang and former Union Minister of State Vincent H Pala to Jaintia Hills for election campaign.
Interestingly, there was only one convoy accompanying the Chief Minister when left Mairang for Shillong after the public rally.
It may be mentioned that normally four convoys accompany the Chief Minister even when he is travelling within Shillong city, while there is a larger convoy while he is travelling to Garo Hills due to the security threat in the region.