Editor,
This is a million dollar question to be answered by the people of Meghalaya in the 2018 Meghalaya Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) General Elections. Yes, even now, hectic but wild speculations have already started not only in the capital city but also in a few district capitals of Meghalaya about the prospect of BJP re-entering the state Legislative Assembly in 2018. Whether or not the BJP can do it would depend on the political wisdom and sagacity of the State Leaders led by Shibun Lyngdoh and the tiny coterie built around him.
Now, it is a fact that with the landslide victory of BJP in 2014 Lok Sabha General Elections led by the charismatic and dynamic Narendra Modi, all eyes have turned to him, including Meghalaya, and have started inclining towards him and his party. This is mainly because he had mass appeal and charisma and has never occupied centre-stage political power in the national capital.
Coming back to Meghalaya, the political scenario here is highly fluid. The political parties are ill organised, in disarray and none of them are in solid foundation nor are tightly knit in every village, Block, District and in the state. Even the grand old party, the Indian National Congress, which came to these hills about fifty odd years ago is yet to be established in every village. It took 25 to 30 years for the hills of Meghalaya to accept this party. Today, this party is a bundle of contradictions with so much of in-fighting and mutual mud-slinging and has spent the last ten or fifteen years in leadership change. The state parties like the HSPDP, UDP, KHNAM and NPP have very few units in the villages of Meghalaya and some of these units have just few members because the leaders are not dedicated and do not have the skills to attract more members. If not for Sanbor Shullai and Marthon Sangma who are still holding on to the NCP, the people of Meghalaya have already forgotten this party. Even KHNAM the offshoot of the KSU may be phased out from the political firmament.
Cashing in on this highly loose and uncertain political scenario is the turn of the BJP to fish in troubled waters. But what is Meghalaya BJP after all and how is it like? What are its credentials? Who is the state president? Who are its core leaders? Is the party not heavily infiltrated by former Congressmen/women? What are their credentials and what are their social and political track records? What are their political acumen? What is their political weightage? Shibun Lyngdoh has been appointed (not elected) president of Meghalaya State BJP for last one year or so just because he could manage to poll about a lakh votes in last Lok Sabha elections. He contested MDC elections from Rymbai Constituency in 1994 and lost badly only to re-appear after 20 years in 2014. Till date he could hardly set up District BJP Units. He and others, till date, could not even form BJP units in all villages and units which is the basis for winning elections. At present, the party is ill prepared for the Assembly elections which is a year away. The party is judged by its leaders and workers and until and unless the state leadership in the BJP is changed immediately and replaced by more politically astute leaders right from the post of president, general secretary, treasurer and other posts, the performance of the party in the upcoming elections will be very dismal. The proof of this is already reflected in the recently concluded MDC Bye-elections to the JHADC and KHADC. In fact, many sitting MDCs, MLAs and people of calibre are interested to contest from this party but, if the party leadership is not changed immediately, while there is still time, many will opt out for other alternatives. In fact, old party leaders from Meghalaya have appealed to National President, Amit Shah, to re-organise the state BJP leadership sometime late last year. Moreover, the very fact that the present state BJP leadership is sidelining all the old state party leaders and workers will only further weaken its prospects of winning at least few seats in the next elections to the State Assembly. Why should BJP lose this golden opportunity by keeping the present incapable leadership? How indispensable are they? Who said that there is no time to change leadership as the elections are quite close? This is just the assumption of those who are far away from Shillong and know nothing about the political realities of Meghalaya.
Yours etc.,
Philip Marwein,
Shillong-2.
Essence of democracy
Editor,
Charismatic leadership is associated with hero – worship. The former cannot emerge without the latter. But hero worship emanates from slave mindset, which interestingly wants to enslave others. Abraham Lincoln had said, “As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy.” Indeed, “You – master – me – slave” or “Me – master – you – slave” mentality is equally dangerous for a democracy. Charisma makes a person larger than the system and instil TINA ~ There Is No Alternative ~ factor in our mindset. But this TINA has a NO within it which says NO to other leaders and NO to democratic change ~ the very foundation of democracy as well. Thus, TINA – Charisma makes democracy slip into the Monarchy. So, what we really need in a democracy is a popular leader and not a charismatic one.
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata