SHILLONG: Deputy Chief Minister RC Laloo, who represents Jowai constituency, has an aversion to straight contest between two candidates as he had bitter experience of not winning the past two elections when the fight was one-to-one.
“There is no more chance for me in the straight contest as I am destined to lose like the way I lost in 1998 and 2003,” Laloo said on Thursday.
However, Laloo is sure that he is going to win in 2018 as there are multiple candidates contesting against him.
UDP and BJP have decided to put up candidates in Jowai and the brother-in-law of Cabinet Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar is also keen to contest from Jowai.
According to Laloo, though he was the finance minister in 1998, he had lost to Sing Mulieh of UDP during the one-to-one contest. He was defeated by Mulieh again in 2003 during the straight fight.
“I won all other five elections in 1983, 1988, 1993, 2008 and 2013 as there were multiple candidates,” Laloo said.
After winning five elections, Laloo was accommodated in every ministry and in 1993, for three months, he had held the post of the Assembly Speaker. Laloo was the first politician from the Congress to win from Jowai as in the past, the seat was held by candidates of non-Congress political parties.
To a query whether money power will play a crucial role in 2018 polls, Laloo said he never believed in money power in the past elections.
“I may be lazy in canvassing and working for my win during elections, but I have never neglected development works as I worked harder to improve the constituency and other parts of the State,” Laloo said.
Answering a question, the deputy chief minister said the Congress still has better chance to form the next government.
“I don’t think there is any anti-incumbency. There is only jealousy against politicians who had won several times and a feeling of people that “why should we elect him or her again since they had served enough.”
Ticket controversy downplayed
Laloo has downplayed the controversies arising out of the plan of the brother-in-law of Dhar to seek ticket from the Congress to contest the 2018 polls.
After the Jowai Block Congress Committee lodged a complaint with MPCC, the party had sought explanation from Dhar.
Besides, JHADC MDC Andrew Shullai, who is the Deputy CEM, had made another complaint.
The disciplinary committee of the party had also met to discuss the matter.
According to Laloo, he does not hear anything about the matter in Jowai.
Laloo, however, refused to comment on MPCC not taking action against Dhar.
‘People wanted me to be CM’
There is a section of party men and supporters from Jaintia Hills who wish to see him as the chief minister of the State.
However, 65-year-old Laloo, who is in politics for 25 years, said he is not interested in the post any longer. In the 45 years of history, the State did not have a chief minister from Jaintia Hills.
Blend of academics and politics
Laloo, who was a professor in NEHU from 1981 till 2015, said he did not find any difficulty in handling politics and academics.
“I was a professor in NEHU for 34 years and both politics and academics are handy for me as I do not find any conflicts,” Laloo said.
