SHILLONG: Rounding up his election campaign with a public meeting at Motphran on Monday, UDP candidate for Shillong pitched in for NDA, urging voters not to believe in the accusation that BJP was a “non-secular” party. He said there was a “false propaganda” by some other parties that if NDA came back to power all churches would be closed, asking people not to be misled by it.
Coming down heavily against his independent rival former reverend of the Presbyterian Church PBM Basaiawmoit, he asked why the independent candidate needed sponsorship of the sitting Congress MLA of Umroi if he had the blessing of God.
Lyngdoh said Basaiawmoit was caught in Catch-22 situation. “While on the right, he has the support of the regional parties (HSPDP and KHNAM) who say ‘No Inner Line Permit (ILP), No rest,’ from his left he has people (Congress) saying – ‘No ILP, come what may’.” Lyngdoh was not sure of the personal stand of Basaiawmoit on the issue of ILP. He claimed UDP was the only party representing the identity of the indigenous tribals, asking people of the Khasi-Jaintia region to reject other candidates.
“The identity of the party (UDP) is the identity of the indigenous tribals and their land and we have a clear manifesto which speaks clearly about party’s ideologies and principles,” Lyngdoh said, addressing the meeting at the centre of the biggest market in Shillong.
Asserting that the people and the land which should come first, Lyngdoh, also a legislator from West Shillong, said: “I come from the Presbyterian Church and my grandfather was a Catholic by religion, but if people question my identity, I will tell them I am a Khasi, son of the Hynniewtrep land.”
Stating that over 12 million Bangladeshi were infiltrating into the northeast region including Meghalaya, he said: “Boundary issue will be the topmost agenda of the party under the North East Regional Parties Forum (NERPF).”
Lyngdoh urged voters to reject candidates who were playing “religious and money cards” to win the election.
“It is really sad that instead of bringing a manifesto which would highlight the various pertinent issues which are affecting the people of the State, some of the candidates have brought ‘money-festo’ and ‘mane-festo’ or ‘worship-festo,” UDP candidate said.
He said the dissolution of the Umroi Block Congress Committee was an outcome of the unhappiness of Congress legislators from Umroi over the decision of the Congress high command in Delhi to allot the party ticket to sitting MP Vincent H Pala. “The Congress legislator indulged in anti-party activities by campaigning against Pala in support of Basaiawmoit’s candidature. In fact, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma is also against Pala,” Lyngdoh said.
The infighting among the Congressmen had forced the AICC general secretary L Faleiro to intervene just one week before the elections. “While I am prepared and already in the field getting ready for the battle with the blessings of my party, poor Pala, before stepping into the field, is already wounded and bashed up by his own people from his home,” he said. Stating people had been misled about a family relationship between him and Pala, he said: “I may have a family relationship with Pala through my marriage. But when in politics, can I say Pala is the in-law of UDP? this is totally unacceptable. We have principles in our party.”
UDP chief Donkupar Roy said that surveys had clearly indicated that the ensuing election would be one of the greatest downfalls of Congress and NDA would return to power at the Centre. “It is up to the people’s decision now,” he said, pointing out that Paul Lyngdoh would be part of the new government to be formed at the Centre, if elected.
“UDP will not be alone as it is working side by side with the NERPF, a group of political parties from the North East to represent the region at the Centre,” he said. Sitting MP Vincent Pala had failed in his past five-year term.