TURA: Hundreds of supporters of the Independent legislator from Rajabala, Ashahel D Shira, have held a public rally to shore up support for him after he was denied a Congress ticket.
The MLA, who gave his support to the Mukul Sangma-led government for five years and was made a parliamentary secretary, did not make it to the final list for the upcoming election.
Though Shira was asked to apply with an assurance, yet the Congress went ahead and nominated Dr Azad Zaman as its candidate for Rajabala.
“I was asked time and again to apply for the ticket by party leaders because I had worked closely with the Congress government in the state for the last five years. Denial of ticket is not going to hamper my position in the polls,” a confident Shira announced to his crowd of supporters at Takkimagre village of Rajabala where the rally was held.
Some of his supporters have expressed anger at the betrayal by the Congress to their leader.
“Both the main parties, the Congress and the National People’s Party, have given their tickets to non-tribal candidates in a constituency shared jointly by tribal and non-tribal communities. We had expected either party to at least nominate a Garo candidate,” a disillusioned supporter lamented at the rally.
“I don’t blame any party. My supporters are among farmers, teachers and the common people of Rajabala who had all along been asking me to enter the election fray as an Independent. They will decide my fate, not the Congress or the NPP,” said Shira.
Some are of the opinion that the decision to allocate the Congress ticket to a non-tribal candidate was to cement the minority vote bank and prevent it from breaking away in key constituencies such as Mahendraganj, Rajabala, Phulbari and Tikrikilla where they play a deciding factor.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma’s wife Dikkanchi D Shira is contesting to retain Mahendraganj seat in the border constituency. The party has also allotted the Phulbari ticket to sitting legislator A T Mondol.
