West Khasi Hills and particularly Nongstoin is the last bastion of the Hill State Peoples’ Democratic Party (HSPDP). The fact that the last sitting MLA died in harness makes this election more about sympathy votes than about real issues. One thing that is being played up by the HSPDP leadership is that the Party needs to be alive and kicking in its stronghold or it will lose steam elsewhere. There are many factors that have played out in this election, some of which are regular shenanigans. Analysts believe that Adviser Pariong’s rebellion against the Congress Party followed by his expulsion from the Party is unlikely to affect the Congress negatively nor to win too many votes for the HSPDP. Voter behaviour is unpredictable. It is a complex mix of reason, emotions, the quest for development; the desire for personal gratification and lastly a personal rapport with the candidate. It is difficult for the candidates to be able to influence the voters on all the above points.
However, for many voters in Nongstoin the Lion is still a symbol that’s dear to them and has won their allegiance times without number, never mind if development has bypassed them all these years. And that’s the crux of the matter. Do people really want good roads, better electricity, water supply, health care, education et al? Do they even demand that these issues be discussed on election platforms? Do voters actually want a legislator who will work for the common good? Or they want an MLA who doles out personal assistance by way of hospital fees, money for school books and uniforms, or promises jobs by pursuing the path of nepotism? These are questions that are never discussed outside of the campaign period. In the heat and dust of elections these are issues that no one will give ear to. Yet the issues of development as are desirable and commonly agreed upon by the electorate through a process of participatory planning are imperative if the backwaters of Meghalaya are to catch up with their urban centres. And Nongstoin is a district headquarter which hardly looks like one, except for a few swanky buildings belonging to those who have managed to exploit the system.
Public memory being short, by the time 2018 arrives the HSPDP stalwart, HS Lyngdoh would have been forgotten and political equations would have changed under the new leadership. Perhaps by then the voters of Nongstoin might decide to opt for a change of guard. For now it looks like the HSPDP is all set to romp home to victory on November 24. But elections being what they are, no one can be absolutely sure about anything especially about peoples’ choice of a representative because ultimately the winner has to be all things to all people.