SHILLONG: The campaign for Ampati seat is heating up with the National People’s Party (NPP) going all out to conquer the Congress fortress and the latter fortifying its defenses to repel any attack.
Both parties now have 20 MLAs each in a House of 60 and the by-poll will be a deciding factor as to which party will emerge as the single largest.
Speaking to media persons here on Wednesday, senior Congress legislator Ampareen Lyngdoh said the party will win the by-election “comfortably despite all-out efforts of the non-Congress forces”.
“The people of Ampati will not disappoint Mukul Sangma for his 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,” Lyngdoh told a group of reporters here on Wednesday.
“I do not see there should be any problem to the decision of Dr Mukul to put his own 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 UDP and other regional forces for joining hands with 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,” she said.
On the other hand, NPP Working president WR Kharlukhi told reporters that NPP is blazing all guns to win the CLP leader’s turf as the party “really wants to win (the seat) and which will make a difference”.
Informing that the campaign is going on in full swing, Kharlukhi further said the fight is tough “but it is not easy for the Congress either”.
