TURA: The political bitterness between the two foes has scaled a new height with Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma threatening to end the political innings of the NPP by writing its ‘epitaph’ in the 2018 state assembly elections.
The chief minister dared the party of Late P A Sangma to retain its hold on the Dadenggre and Songsak assembly constituencies, represented by NPP in the current assembly.
Elder son of P A Sangma, James Pangsang K Sangma is the Dadenggre MLA while Nihim D Shira represents Songsak constituency in East Garo Hills.
Both were elected for a second consecutive term.
Holding an election campaign for his wife and Congress candidate Dikkanchi D Shira at Dagal Apal village of Songsak on a rainy Saturday afternoon, the chief minister launched a scathing attack on the NPP candidate Conrad K Sangma and the NPP.
“When he (Conrad) was finance and power minister in the Donkuper Roy government of the NCP-BJP-UDP combine, all the Congress schemes and projects were scrapped.
“While Congress was creating projects, Conrad was cancelling them,” alleged the chief minister.
“The 2018 elections will be the end of the NPP. I will bury the NPP in Songsak and Dadenggre,” thundered Mukul Sangma.
He also targetted the NPP candidate for cancelling a series of power projects cleared by the Congress government before the Donkuper Roy government took office.
Continuing his tirade against Conrad Sangma’s then ministership in the 2008-09 tenure, chief minister Mukul Sangma termed the Meghalaya Progressive Alliance government of Donkuper Roy as a ‘failure’.
“Despite public demands for creation of new districts they failed to deliver. It was our Congress government which created four new districts in the state,” said the chief minister.
He went on to speak about the developmental projects under the Congress and mentioned the completion of the Warima bridge across Simsang river, improvement of roads, schools and medical centres.
“It was the Congress led UPA government that cleared road projects for Meghalaya totalling 1500 kms for which an agreement has been signed with the World Bank for funding,” informed Mukul Sangma.
He went all guns blazing against Conrad Sangma for accusing him of failing to provide funds for the MGNREGA works in the Garo Hills.
“Funds for MGNREGA was about to be released to job card holders in the state but was stopped after the NPP candidate had lodged a complaint,” alleged Mukul Sangma. The centre provides 90 percent of funds for the national scheme while the remaining 10 percent is given by the state government.
Referring to BJP-led government at the Centre, Sangma claimed that people of the country were waiting for the inevitable fall of the NDA government headed by Narendra Modi.
He said that people are worried due to the current situation in the country and accused the BJP of trying to implement a separate agenda.
