WILLIAMNAGAR: They were friends for years while working together in the same political party, but politics has turned them into opponents, and today they are among the nine candidates vying for the Williamnagar seat that goes to the polls on the 27th of this month.
“I entered the political fray because successive elected representatives have failed to lift the underdevelopment of Williamnagar for the last forty years and I want to change that,” says Independent candidate Sengbath R Marak while speaking to The Shillong Times on the sidelines of an election campaign at Williamnagar town on Tuesday afternoon.
A businessman by profession, he has made water supply, health, education, economy, roads, market construction with a farmers office and youth affairs a priority of his election manifesto.
“Williamnagar is facing acute water shortage and health scenario is bleak. There is no functioning sonography and blood bank in the largest hospital of the district. Roads and bridges inside the constituency are in neglected state and the youth have no job opportunities to look forward to a better future,” says Sengbath Marak as he narrates one problem after another blaming the current MLA and her predecessors.
While current Congress legislator Deborah Marak was a minister in the Mukul Sangma Government, Sengbath was the president of the party’s district committee, including Williamnagar.
The mudslinging has been escalating as the political battle draws near with even the NPP joining the fray.
At an election rally in Dawa Nengkatok village on Monday afternoon, chief minister Conrad Sangma had questioned who amongst Deborah and Sengbath was the ‘actual’ candidate of the opposition party.
“I need no political party’s support because I have the support of the people which is why I joined the fray as an Independent,” replied Sengbath Marak accusing the NPP of being jittery.
Taking a dig at chief minister Conrad K Sangma’s claims about voters seeking a change, in reference to current legislator Deborah Marak, the Independent candidate asked, “NPP has fielded the same candidate who was voted out by the people in 2013. Is this the change they are seeking?”
He says that the comparison between Marcuise Marak (2008) and Deborah Marak (2013) is similar when it comes to underdevelopment of Williamnagar and blames either for failing to settle the burning issue of land settlement for the inhabitants of the town.
Land in Williamnagar was primarily belonging to the government but over the years many settled in Warima and Balsrigittim government plots where they were given a lease for thirty years, 17 years ago, until a permanent settlement was made.
On the water crisis, he says “Williamnagar town is surrounded with abundance of water sources including the biggest river- Simsang and yet we depend on Assam to supply us with packaged drinking water. People are facing water shortage due to failure to modernize and expand the water supply network of the government.”
The Independent candidate, in each of his election rallies, is seeking accountability on the use of MLA schemes which, according to him, begins and ends with the distribution of CGI tin sheets for houses.
“Ten crores of MLA scheme in five years is a huge amount that can do wonders for the constituency if utilized properly. Two crucial bridges on entry to Williamnagar at Chidekgre and Nengkhra lying incomplete for years could have benefitted the people if sufficient funds had been given. MLA schemes should go beyond CGI distribution and it should be based on people’s demands,” says Marak.
He blames elected leaders of not doing anything to reopen the SBI branches at Rongsak and Samanda saying, “Voters, especially farmers and pensioners, are having to spend time and money coming all the way to Williamnagar to operate their bank accounts.”
“This election is not about political parties and their manifestos. It is about which candidate can deliver,” said Sengbath Marak.