SHILLONG: In a democracy, an electoral verdict is the ultimate judgment of the acceptability or otherwise of a sitting or aspiring people’s representative.
The 361 candidates who contested the Assembly polls this time are aware that Saturday is nothing short of judgment day for them. No wonder, then, that they are keeping their fingers crossed.
A clutch of candidates share their hopes and anxieties with The Shillong Times.
The Assembly election this year gripped the attention of the entire country due mainly to the BJP’s aggressive bid to not only secure a foothold in Meghalaya but also unseat the ruling Congress government.
While the election ended on January 27, the candidates had to go through a period of torturous wait before the counting finally started.
During an informal chat with this newspaper, a candidate confessed that he and his supporters spent a lot of time analysing and assessing their party’s performance and the ball is doubtless in the people’s court.
BJP candidate AL Hek exuded oodles of confidence saying he was certain of winning his seat and was not suffering from insomnia as he has nothing to worry about.
UDP candidate from Nongthymmmai Jemino Mawthoh said people were visiting his residence every day since February 27 to support and encourage him.
“Still now we are still taking feedbacks, both positive and negative, from different pockets and polling stations,” he said.
Stating that he was not overly anxious about the outcome, Mawthoh added his party is taking things in a positive spirit and right from the beginning of campaigning he was pretty optimistic.
Congress candidate from Mylliem Ronnie V Lyngdoh said many people had paid him courtesy visits at his residence to wish him luck.
“I am not tensed at all and the response which I got from people is that they still want me,” Lyngdoh said, adding that he always has the name of god on his lips through the thick and thin of life.
UDP candidate from West Shillong Paul Lyngdoh said he has spent a lot of time with his party workers and office bearers, which has helped further strengthen the bond that he shared with his party colleagues.
The UDP leader said he is seldom anxious except when news erupts of breakout of violence or rioting, adding that his motto always has been to work for the people. He was confident, he said, that the people of his constituency would repose their faith in him again.
After counting ends on Saturday, the streets of the city would be chock-a-block with victory rallies reverberating with the joyous cries of jubilant supporters.
With such a likely scenario in mind, Shillong police have made elaborative security arrangements to maintain law and order.
