TURA: BJP candidate from South Tura Billykid A Sangma unleashed a fusillade of criticisms against the National People’s Party and its candidate from the constituency, Agatha Sangma.
Billykid not only questioned Agatha’s contribution to the constituency during her tenure as the Union minister but also pointed at the NPP’s alliance with BJP at the Centre.
In a hurriedly organised press conference at his residence on Thursday evening, the former minister attacked the NPP candidate for her remarks against previous elected legislators.
“She (Agatha) is questioning the contribution of previous MLAs to Tura, but I want to ask about her contribution to the people of Tura and Garo Hills during her tenure in the Union government. People have not seen any important thing she has done or contributed towards Garo Hills and Tura when she was an MP. So what can she do being elected as an MLA from Tura,” said Billykid, who is a former minister and was defeated by Agatha’s father, late PA Sangma, in the 2008 assembly elections.
On Wednesday, Agatha had accused previous legislators of Tura of doing little for the development of the second largest town in the state.
Billykid questioned NPP about its silence on the NDA alliance and dared Conrad Sangma to deny ties with the saffron brigade in front of BJP president Amit Shah.
“Why is NPP hiding its alliance with the BJP,” he said before leaving for an election rally in one of the localities in Tura town.
Billykid’s comment may give leverage to NPP’s opponents, especially the Congress that had accused the party of being BJP’s Team B. Conrad had so far defended the party’s stand by citing differences in ideology.
Dynastic politics
Without mincing his words, Billykid denounced both NPP and the Congress for encouraging dynastic politics by cherry picking family members for party tickets.
“For Congress and NPP it is Parivar ka Saath, Parivar ka Vikas, while for us in the BJP it is Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,” said Billykid as he pointed out to the NPP’s brother-sister duo of James and Agatha and the Congress’s Mukul Sangma and wife Dikkanchi D Shira along with Zenith Sangma and his wife Sadhiarani who have been allotted tickets.
Besides Agatha, Billykid will also face legislator and NCP candidate John Leslee K Sangma.
A confident Billykid said his strength is his accessibility to the common people.
“I have no weaknesses. My advantage is that everyone is looking for change and development which our party BJP is projecting… the sitting MLA is facing anti-incumbency because Tura has not received its due share of development in the last 10 years,” he added.
Talking about BJP’s anti-communal stance, Billykid appealed to the electorate not to fall prey to propaganda. “BJP is a political party. It is not a religion. I am a Christian and will remain so. The next government will have the Sangmas and the Lyngdohs who are all Christians. So why this confusion and worry,” said Billykid.
He also boasted that it was the BJP and not the NPP that is the powerhouse in Delhi and the former alone would be able to deliver development in the state.
