Lone woman candidate in South Tura banks on voter connect

GUWAHATI: Charlotte W Momin, the lone woman candidate contesting South Tura constituency on a Congress ticket, is confident that her experience in the education sector and strong connect with people will lead to a positive result in the August 23 by-poll.
“I think I am doing quite well so far in reaching out to the people, but still have a lot of work to do. People know that Congress is a credible and secular party having ruled the country for so many decades. In Meghalaya, it has had a strong presence over the years,” Charlotte, a former principal of Tura Government Public School, told The Shillong Times on Monday.
The 63-year-old is competing against chief minister Conrad K Sangma (NPP) and Independent candidates, John Leslee K Sangma and Chris Kabul A Sangma in the bypoll.
Asked how she rates herself in the competition, which by her own admission will be tough, she says her connect with the people over the years and stature as an academician and member of the Meghalaya State Women’s Commission will make her a strong contender.
“So I think as a woman candidate people are looking up to me. People know that as a person who has served the education sector for so many years I have delivered. Now, as a woman who is aware of the ground realities and needs, I also can contribute in women empowerment,” the former secretary of Meghalaya Board of Secondary Education (MBOSE), said.
“Besides, too many things have happened since the new government came to power. The chief minister’s sister and the lone woman candidate then, Agatha had quit after the people elected her in South Tura. Now you have chief minister who wants to give work permits to Bangladeshi nationals, which goes against the local people. Besides, he has been questioned in the Assembly on his decision to amend the reservation policy as well,” Charlotte said.
Conrad however had clarified during campaigning on Sunday that there was no decision to amend the reservation policy as “being propagated by opponents.”
Asked about her agenda, Charlotte said that she would work to uplift the condition of the economically backward sections. “I had visited Leper Colony and was saddened to know that some families were having only one meal a day,” she said.
Besides, she said that she would focus on infrastructure development as most localities of the constituency had grappled with bad roads and pitch-dark areas for long.
“Education is another area which needs attention, particularly the lower primary schools where it must be ensured that the teachers attend classes regularly so that the students are given a good foundation for them to cope with their studies as they move ahead,” the academician said.
On her campaigning, Charlotte said she had reached out to many people, made them aware about issues hitherto unknown to them and also pledged to redress some of the policies of the present dispensation for their good.