From Our Correspondent
NONGSTOIN: Election fever has gripped the people and the political parties as Nongstoin on Saturday witnessed three public meetings by candidates from different political parties contesting the KHADC polls from Nongstoin.
First was the turn of NPP candidate Apsharailang Syiem supported by Nongstoin MLA Macmillan Byrsat and Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong.
Syiem said his main agenda is to preserve the customary law and the land tenure system, empower village dorbar, strengthen district council in Nongstoin by bringing more branches like Forest, Land, Elaka which will create employment for the youths of the district.
He also said people of Nongstoin have witnessed the work done by the NPP MLA in Nongstoin.
Rs 100 crore is being sanctioned for various developmental activities, including state road, PMGSY and other central schemes.
The NPP is in office for just 11 months and Nongstoin was left out for 46 years without any development.
The deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong said it was the NPP that was in the forefront in protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) under the leadership of Conrad Sangma as a convener of the different political parties in the North East and Meghalaya was first among the states of NE to oppose the CAB.
He added that the main agenda of the NPP in this election is to preserve the land tenure system, implement the Village Administration Bill (VAB), bring the Land Bill according to the para 3 of the 6th schedule, settle the issue of coal mining in the state and help the state exempted from regulations like MMDR Act.
After NPP completed the campaign, the next turn was that of the MPCC general secretary John F. Kharshiing, who said the people have faced a lot of trouble under the BJP rule.
Kharshiing said he was surprised to hear the claim made by the NPP that it had stopped the CAB but in fact the NPP did not have a single MP in the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha. So how do they claim that they prevented the CAB, Kharshiing said.
He said the NPP is with the BJP led NDA alliance and they are working together in the state as well.
Kharshiing said the Congress has 50 MPs in the Rajya Sabha and along with other parties they fought and stalled the CAB.
Kharshiing also informed that after 60 days, the central government will be changed and if the BJP fails to come back, the NPP led MDA government will also collapse in Meghalaya, and a new government will be formed by the Congress.
He urged the public of Nongstoin to elect Gabriel Wahlang in this election so that he will make a channel for the people of Nongstoin and the government.
Wahlang said NPP and BJP are together and it is under the BJP government that the Christians are facing harassment.
The Centre is also making a way for the outsiders to come to the North East by implementing the CAB, he said.
Demonetisation and implementation of GST have also affected the people, he said.
He also said NPP had promised to revoke the ban on coal mining within 6 months and the public of Nongstoin believed the party but the reality is that the transportation of coal was stopped and a fine of Rs 100 crore was imposed on the MDA government by the court.
HSPDP campaigned last and party chief KP Pangniang said HSPDP is the party founded by (L) Hopingstone Lyngdoh and it was the party that stood for the rights of the people, preserved the rights of ownership of land, and prohibited infiltration of outsiders in the state and it was the party that strongly demanded to implement the ILP in the state.
“We have in our agenda to empower the Khasis people with 6thschedule and to ensure that Khasi Language is included in the 8thschedule of the Constitution.
The HSPDP candidate LG Nongsiej said if the people want to preserve land, community and custom, the voters should choose HSPDP.
“We don’t believe in promises as made by other parties but we stand on our foundation ,that is to protect the Khasi community, said Nongsiej, who also added that if the people of Nongstoin, the villages, groups, schools and churches help him, he is sure to win the election.