National People’s Party spokesperson and Opposition chief whip, James K. Sangma says NPP has gained the National People’s Party spokesperson and Opposition chief whip, James K. Sangma says NPP has gained the traction which was missing in 2013 – a decisive factor the party believes will swing the pendulum in its favour in 2018. The party, the sitting Dadenggre legislator claims, has over the past five years firmly established itself and is now more visible. What’s more, the fact that many leaders, including experienced and capable ones, have joined or poised to join the ranks, the party is cock-a-hoop about the apparently high winnability factor in many constituencies, both in Garo and Khasi/Jaintia Hills.Sangma, who joined electoral politics in 2008, is confident that the favourable wave will see NPP through next year to form a government “on its own” and that the party would try its best to rectify the “mistakes” committed by the incumbent government.Saurav Bora caught up with the 41-year-old political leader for an exclusive interview at his Dhankheti residence in Shillong.
Here are the excerpts:
ST: How are your preparations going for the polls?
James: I think our preparations are going on in full swing, given that we had come out with the first list (of candidates taking part in the Assembly elections next year) a couple of days back. The second list will come out very shortly. In the meantime, the party has got into election mode in terms of campaigning as we speak…
ST: Is there an NPP wave this time compared to 2013?
James: I would say so…Definitely, there is a very palpable wave that is there in not just in Garo Hills but in the entire state…and there are many reasons for that, but I think it is very welcome that the state as a whole is coming together and there seems to be a common goal/objective emerging. I think this is also one of the reasons for the strong wave in favour of NPP…
ST: Why was there no pre-poll alliance?
James: Well, alliances are a very complicated exercise. We have seen the example of the alliance between the UDP and HSPDP where many differences are yet to be ironed out, which has resulted in a lot of disgruntlement among their cadre, party workers and candidates…Alliances are only good when there is a clear-cut understanding. But when you leave space for ambiguity and call it a friendly fight, I think it creates a lot of bad blood and misunderstanding….We as a political party did not want to get into all that… because when we want to go for an alliance, we want it to be a clear alliance wherein there is clarity…everybody knows who they are supposed to work for and there is no misunderstanding among the alliance partners.
ST: What will be the post-poll scenario?
James: Well, let’s get to that when we cross the bridge…
ST: NPP has only two MLAs, yourself and Nihim D. Shira. How will you increase your tally as the Congress is all out to check your party in Garo Hills?
James: Well, the situation then (in 2013) was different…that was the time when NPP was in its nascent stage. We had just formed the party… and there were many things that was different then Like for example, delimitation had just taken place… many factors were there and the fact that we had gone for a new party did not go down well in terms of electoral gains as people were not aware of its symbol, and why the party was formed, its ideology then….But now, the situation is very different…we have firmly established ourselves and I think people know what the party has done, we have been very visible, we have been very vocal on many issues…
ST: How many seats will you be contesting and how many do you expect to win?
James: We want to contest in as many seats as possible depending on the kind of candidates we get. It’s always good to be optimistic and we are striving to be a single majority government in the future because I think it is high time Meghalaya sees a stable government and is not bogged down by coalition compulsions. It is important that the state sees political stability that will ensure all-round growth and delivery…
ST: But Congress leaders claim their government has brought stability?
James: But has that stability really resulted in good governance…has it resulted in development percolating down to the grassroots…well I think there is a very strong no to what they claim….
ST: What is the plan for Ampati?
James: We are still working on that and eventually we will come out with a strategy…
ST: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has always won from Ampati…
James: Yes he has…But this time he is slightly nervous and unsure of winning from Ampati, which is why he is looking at contesting from two constituencies…
ST: UDP is allying with GNC in Garo Hills. Will this affect NPP’s poll prospects?
James: I don’t think so…See, the ideology of GNC is very different from ours…and I think that, as of now, GNC is still struggling to come to terms…But they have always been our friend and we wish them well…
ST: What is your assessment of the regional coalition (UDP-HSPDP alliance)?
James: Again, I wish the alliance all the best…For them to have a successful coalition, the process should have started earlier…
ST: How will you expand NPP’s network in Khasi/Jaintia Hills?
James: We are seeing a very positive response from many senior leaders who have surprisingly shown keen interest in joining the party…they are sincerely working by sending their people to join the party… they are organising the party at the grassroots level in Khasi/Jaintia Hills…
ST: Your father PA Sangma, the architect of NPP, was the guiding force all along. Now, this will be the only election in his absence. So, how will your team ensure victory?
James: My father has had many professions in his life… but the one profession that stands out for him, which he was proud of, was that of a teacher. I can tell you that he was a great teacher and he taught us well…(smiles)… we believe that we can carry forward all that he has taught us by virtue of the grooming that he has given us…I think that should see us through…
ST: Will there be any chief ministerial candidate from your party?
James: As of now we have not taken a call on that…
ST: Will the joining of your sister Agatha boost the party’s chances?
James: See, Agatha is a person who has rich administrative experience… she has been a Union minister, she has been an MP for two terms, she is very articulate and I think it would be a shame for her not to utilise her talent and experience and bring it to the state…I am happy that she is there…
ST: What will be the agenda of the party in the election?
James: We are coming out with a mission statement shortly…
ST: What are your views on the Mukul Sangma-led MUA government?
James: The government’s performance has been very poor… it has failed on many fronts, including fiscal management…The misguided priorities of Dr Mukul Sangma has cost the state exchequer dearly…Besides, the state has also not prioritized its spending, having splurged on a festival like Cherry Blossom and not spent as much on basic amenities such as roads…. The state will take a long time to recover from it…but we are hopeful that when we come to power we will be able to rectify the mistakes made by the Congress government…
ST: Will NPP be able to cash in on the anti-incumbency of the Congress?
James: I think it is apparent that there is anti-incumbency…which will help us. There is also this ray of hope among people that NPP will be able to come forward and live up to their expectations…
ST: Congress is poised to link NPP with BJP and its policies during the campaign. How will you tackle it?
James: We are two different political entities having very different ideologies….so I don’t think it is fair to link them with us and vice versa..I think it is very demeaning. Our core ideology is centered around secularism, transparency, good governance and looking after the rights of minorities and marginalised sections of society…
ST: How is your constituency, Dadenggre, placed in terms of development?
James: I don’t want to comment on just a single constituency…But yes, there are lot of things to be done…we have the Baljek airport but unfortunately the government has neglected the facility despite its claims of improving connectivity….Then again when it comes to education, not just Dadenggre, but every subdivision of the state needs to have a college…
ST: Lastly, what do you think will be the outcome of the Assembly elections?
James: We hope that the people of Meghalaya will vote for a party which will be able to form the government on its own. A single party government is the only way in which development without any hiccups can take place…