SHILLONG: Former HSPDP president Ardent Basaiawmoit has lambasted alliance partner United Democratic Party (UDP) over its decision of aligning with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form a government in the state, asserting that it has eroded the faith and confidence of the people in the regional parties and would negatively impact the future and credibility of all the regional parties in Meghalaya.
Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, Basaiawmoit recalled that a month before the elections the HSPDP had asked the UDP to consider withdrawing from the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) since the UDP was being branded as a partner of the BJP.
“But they (UDP) kept on saying that NEDA is a development platform which only vindicates Congress’s claim that all the regional parties are part and parcel of the BJP,” he said, adding “this is the reason why the people can’t repose their faith in the regional parties” thereby affecting their future prospects.
Slamming UDP president Donkupar Roy, Basaiawmoit asked the former chief minister to answer why he opposed Prestone Tynsong from becoming the next chief minister of the state.
Taking a cue from media reports, he also asked Roy to come clean on the proposal and agreement between him and NPP president Conrad Sangma.
Denying allegations that he never expressed his resentment over an alliance with the BJP, the former HSPDP chief said since day one after forging the alliance with UDP, he had made his stand clear that the alliance was only between UDP and HSPDP and later strengthened by the GNC.
“The alliance was meant for HSPDP, UDP and GNC and not BJP. We had made it clear that we want a non-Congress, non-BJP government in the state,” he said.
Accusing the UDP of betraying the HSPDP, Basaiawmoit reiterated that the UDP did not consult its alliance partner before proposing the name of Conrad Sangma – and opposing Prestone Tynsong – for the chief minister’s post.
Commenting on the two HSPDP MLAs who had openly defied the party’s directive, he recalled that he had asked the two MLAs not to break the alliance but never to agree to be part of an alliance with the BJP.
“As elected representatives they should remember that the stand of the party was to form a government without the BJP and I am hurt because even after I had instructed them to skip the swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhavan on Sunday with a view to the majority sentiment within the party, they chose to disregard my directive,” Basaiawmoit told reporters.
Terming the behaviour of the two MLAs as highly indisciplined, he said that as party president he had worked hard for all the contesting candidates and even lost the election because he had no time to campaign for himself.
Stating that the HSPDP should rectify its mistakes, Basaiawmoit stressed that this region of the state should have got the chance to share the responsibility as he head of the state as the other region has got opportunity to serve as the head of the state.
“This was the opportune moment to serve as the head of the state from this side of the state,” he told reporters.
