NEW DELHI: The National People’s Party is open to a pre-poll alliance with like-minded parties before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, said its national chief and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.
Sangma, however, clarified that the party will remain an ally of the NDA.
Asked whether the party will fight alone or go for alliance, Sangma said, “If the likeminded parties come to a conclusion and can come to an understanding, then it would be a very good scenario… Every political party has its own interest and in that situation we might not be able to come together in all the situations. So where we can, we would try our best to have an understanding. As NPP we would like to look at the interest of the party,” he said.
Earlier, he addressed the party’s central executive meeting that was held at the Constitution club. “Our effort will be to fight together so that there is a spirit of coalition. There is no doubt on alliance with NDA and it will continue on that line,” he stated.
Talking about the party’s strategy for the Lok Sabha polls, Sangma said, “We are obviously an independent party. So we are looking at expanding the party and its base. We will try to contest from different parts of the State where we feel the party has strength and will get response. We do have strong units in many of the states in the North East. We have strength in states like Rajasthan.”
At the central executive meeting of the party, Sangma said, “We discussed about the upcoming Assembly elections in different states and about the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on how the party would move forward.”
The chief minister said during the executive meeting most of the state units and MLAs expressed their desire to strengthen the party and contest the upcoming elections in different states.
“The national committee and the election committee of the party are going to look into those issues and aspects. Keeping the party’s and the public’s interest in mind we will accordingly decide on how we shall move forward,” he stated.
NPP is an ally of the NDA led by BJP at the Centre. Presently, it is a part of the coalition government led by BJP in some NE states. (UNI)
