Former Cabinet minister and Former Cabinet minister and Pynursla MLA Prestone Tynsong has nothing against the Congress, from which he has won three elections since 2003, when he made his debut in politics. He respects the national party but cannot say the same for the current leadership, which he alleges is there to “destroy” the Congress.Prestone considers the National People’s Party a “complete party” with presence in both Garo Hills and Khasi-Jaintia Hills, and one that is worthy of leading the state. Saurav Bora caught up with the leader for an interview at his Pohkseh residence on Wednesday evening.
Here are the excerpts of the interview:
ST: First you were axed from the Cabinet and then the MPCC dissolved the Pynursla block without keeping you in the loop. Do you treat the move as humiliation or does it make you stronger for a comeback?
Prestone: I have said this before the media, and I have told them that this was done, may be, for the benefit of the party! They must have calculated the move to dissolve the block committees… There were not less than seven-eight blocks that were dissolved… may be they did that to strengthen the party! Their strategy is to make the Congress come to power again!… However, I really don’t know the actual reason for the move…
Regarding whether the move makes me stronger…Well, let me cross the bridge first, then you will be able to know whether I am stronger…
ST: You alleged that your ouster from the party was planned. Can you elaborate?
Prestone: Yes… it must have been a planned move by the state leadership. I was in Shimla when the MPCC president informed me about the dissolution of the Pynursla block. But that was two days earlier to my decision to apply for a ticket, which they knew as I had asked the president and secretary to collect the form… So my conclusion is that the MPCC did not want me to apply for a ticket… otherwise they could have dissolved the committee later… so it was a pre-planned move not to let Prestone apply…
ST: You have raised the issue of change of leadership with the AICC. Is it because of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma’s style of functioning?
Prestone: That is for sure… I won elections from the Congress… the Congress party has blessed me so much. Unfortunately, the state leadership, it seems, does not want me… I have nothing against the party… I respect the party but can’t say the same for the present leadership…
ST: Cabinet minister Zenith Sangma had in an interview with The Shillong Times accused leaders shifting allegiance of being spineless and that they did so to seek favours from BJP. How do you react to the charge?
Prestone: Zenith, I should say is just a kid for me… he has blindly supported his brother but he has to understand the ground reality and listen to the voice of the people… My personal opinion is that it appears that the present leadership wants to destroy the Congress in Meghalaya… because how can you blindly dissolve not one but seven to eight block committees at a time without collecting any kind of information… or if you have any kind of doubt on Prestone, why don’t you talk face to face …did I do any wrong?… was there any kind of anti-party activities? Things have to be verified… That is important… Then only you take action… it should be like that… how can you take action based on a report from someone?
ST: Zenith Sangma had said that some leaders had clandestine meetings with other parties…
Prestone: As politicians, we can meet anybody…why are you so suspicious? If he (Zenith) knows about the meeting, how it can be termed clandestine…may be he is also a part of it… (Smiles)
ST: Why have you chosen to join the NPP and when?
Prestone: My supporters were humiliated after what the state leadership had done to me… They thereafter asked me not to contest on a Congress ticket, which is why I decided to contest from NPP…
Now, among the four national parties, so far, I see NPP as the best option. The fight in Garo Hills will be between Congress and NPP. The fight in Khasi-Jaintia Hills will be between NPP and other parties, including small parties… Now when you calculate, you get MLAs (of NPP) from both sectors (Garo Hills and Khasi-Jaintia Hills). That being the situation, the party becomes complete, which is worthy to lead the state…
Regional parties are still not acceptable… They end up being in the Khasi-Jaintia sector only. But a party has to cover the entire state… In the regional alliance, there is unity before the elections, but after the polls, they break away… Such an alliance is not fit to lead the state… it cannot be trusted.
Regarding when I will join NPP, I am yet to decide… I will have to see…
ST: NPP national president Conrad Sangma had recently said that you are capable of leading the state. What do you have to say to that?
Prestone: Well, what I can only say is that my wish, whether I am a minister, MLA or in whatever capacity, is to see that Meghalaya grows better than before in both Garo Hills and Khasi-Jaintia Hills.
ST: Lastly, how do you rate the chances of NPP in the 2018 Assembly elections and how many seats will the party win?
Prestone: I think considering the mood of the people it seems that NPP will lead the state… Regarding the seats… let us see. I have not joined NPP yet… But when I join we will have to meet again (Laughs)… then I can answer all your questions freely… I can also disclose the manifesto to the people… what the party wants to do for the people… Everything will be transparent then…