SHILLONG: The battle for Ampati by-election is heating up with the National People’s Party (NPP) is going all out to conquer the Congress fortress, while the Congress is fortifying its defenses and confident that they will be able to repel any attacks of combined opposition and emerge victorious in the elections.
Both the NPP and Congress now have 20 MLAs each in the House of 60 and the Ampati battle ground will be a deciding factor as to which party will emerge as the single largest party in the state
Speaking to media persons here on Wednesday, Senior Congress legislator Ampareen Lyngdoh said that the party was sure win the Ampati by-election comfortably despite all out efforts of the non-Congress forces to ensure the defeat of the party.
“The people of Ampati will not disappoint former Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma for the good work he has done for the past 25 years. We can see with our own eyes the efforts initiated by Dr Mukul towards overall development of the Ampati constituency,” Ampareen said while talking to a group of reporters here today.
“I do not see there should be any problem to the decision of Dr Mukul to field his daughter in the fray. Dynastic politics is not a new thing in the country. It is a shame that there are people who are trying to make an issue out of this,” the senior Congress leader said.
She also lambasted the UDP and other regional forces for joining hands with the BJP in their campaign to defeat the Congress in this by-election.
“I would like to ask if the UDP does not have its own candidate to contest the by-election. Does this indicate that the party has lost its own identity? ” Ampareen said.
On the other hand, NPP Working president, WR Kharlukhi while talking to reporters stated that the NPP is blazing all guns to secure a win in the home turf of the CLP leader and former Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma.
Kharlukhi said that the NPP was going all out to win the seat as this was the seat that the NPP really wanted to win and which will make a difference in the Assembly.
Informing that the campaigning is going on in full swing, Kharlukhi further said that the fight was tough but it not easy either for the congress .