The Congress Party stalwarts worked over time to campaign for their candidate, Gabriel Wahlang but the Lion finally stole the show. The Hills State Peoples’ Democratic Party (HSPDP) won the election with a respectable majority with the Congress coming in second. The elections, coming so soon after the demise of the founder of the HSPDP, Hoping Stone Lyngdoh were bound to be driven by subjectivity rather than the practical realities. Only by 2018 will the electorate of Nongstoin begin to realise that growth, development and progress are imperative as they drive the economy.
It is said that people get the MLA and the government they deserve. If Bihar voted for caste, we in Meghalaya are not too far behind in the manner in which we assess and weigh the suitability of a candidate to represent us. Most often personal considerations override pragmatism. Personal equations with a candidate and the manner in which he or she approaches the electorate are more important than the election promises made on the public platform. In fact public meeting are now passé. Not too many attend such meetings or are convinced by what a candidate says at such meetings. Often it is the clandestine meetings between the candidate or his agent and the voter, when money changes hands, that determine whether the candidate wins or loses.
The Congress is now at 31 seats, thereby making it the single largest party in the 60 member Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. But it also has the support of a few like-minded Independent MLAs which give it an edge over other parties. What has benefitted the Congress is the fragmentation of the regional political parties. Even this time the United Democratic Party set up a candidate instead of settling for a consensus candidate. This is the Achilles Heel of the Regional Parties. Hence a win in Nongstoin is hardly going to make a difference to the fortunes of the Regional Parties and nor will it dent the Congress morale. It is 2018 which will make a difference and which might also see new political equations emerging since the BJP is keen to make inroads into Meghalaya after having accomplished a win in the Garo Hills District Council elections.