Cong, NPP make claims over winning by-election

SHILLONG: Both the Congress and the NPP have claimed that the parties are confident to win the Ampati seat.
While MPCC leaders said there was no problem for the Congress to retain the seat, NPP leader and deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong said after analysing all the 39 polling stations, “the reports reaching are that the NPP candidate will win the seat but with a reduced margin”.
“We are winning as per the calculations arrived at from the polling booth,” Tynsong said.
NPP leader Nihim D Shira also echoed his views and said this time, the party will secure the seat.
The Congress is banking on the intelligence inputs to substantiate its claim.
Ampati development a myth
The NPP leadership has exposed lack of educational facilities in Ampati contradicting the claim of former chief minister Mukul Sangma that he developed Ampati on all fronts. NPP leader Nihim Shira said no government college was set up in Ampati and other educational facilities are lacking.
“Though development is visible in proper Ampati town, there are many villages which are still longing for basic amenities like water supply, road connectivity, among others,” Shira said.
He also pointed out that this was for the first time that the people of Ampati witnessed a real election.
“The election for the past five terms when Mukul Sangma won was a one-sided affair,” he said.
At least NPP conveyed to the people that election was not about money power or one-man show but it should be fought on real issues, Nihim said.