Clear cut mandate against Mukul: Purno
TURA: NPP supremo and Tura Lok Sabha MP Purno A Sangma has attributed Thursday’s victory in the GHADC polls to voters anger over lack of development and rising crime in Garo Hills under the Congress government.
“It’s a clear cut mandate against the Congress and its chief minister Mukul Sangma for not providing development to the people and failing to contain the rising crime in Garo Hills. There is an anti-Congress wave all over the Garo Hills and the writing was on the wall,” said P A Sangma while speaking to The Shillong Times at his residence in Walbakgre, Tura.
“There has been no reasonable development on the ground. People are witnessing everything. To suit their own means they tried to push through the codification of the Garo Customary Laws which angered the people of Garo Hills. Do you think they will forget? They have spoken out today,” said the senior Sangma.
Taking a dig at the foothold the chief minister has in his stronghold of South-West Garo Hills district, he said “BJP which is the arch rival of the Congress defeated the Congress in Zikzak which happens to be a part of the assembly constituency of Mahendraganj that is represented by the chief minister’s wife. That speaks volumes of one’s strength.”
Meanwhile, the NPP chief announced that his party would be tying up with the BJP and ‘like-minded’ parties and candidates to take over the reins of the new executive committee of GHADC.
The lone BJP MDC, Bhupendra B Hajong from Zikzak, is already in the NPP camp since both parties are in an alliance at the Centre.
“We are also talking to Independents and the GNC and we are expecting them to join the new alliance in the district council,” said P A Sangma. He also took a swipe at those who were once elected on his party ticket and had abandoned him for the Congress.
In the 2009 GHADC elections P A Sangma’s then NCP party literally swept the council polls by bagging as many as 19 seats. Despite the overwhelming majority his MDCs, including CEM Alphonse A Sangma and chairman Purno K Sangma, deserted him for the Congress. As many as 14 MDCs left his party fold and merged with the Congress. “Each one of those who betrayed the people’s mandate and deserted me has lost their seat, this time,” remarked Sangma sarcastically.