GUWAHATI: Even as regional parties in Meghalaya are looking at a “like-minded alliance” to prevail in the district council elections, Opposition Congress has pledged to put up a good fight and even hoped to spring a few surprises in the February 27 polls.
Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary, John F. Kharshiing, while speaking to The Shillong Times, said, “We have put up credible candidates and will give a good fight. We expect to win a good number of seats and we might spring a few surprises as they the alliance parties have fielded their own candidates.”
Congress has fielded 29 candidates in the elections to the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council and 19 in Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council.
On the issues the party would take up, Kharshiing said the focus areas would be to complete the codification of customary laws of territorial chiefs, resolution of the issue of the building bye-laws, pending Village Administration Bill and the boundary impasse, among others.
Reflecting on the past trends in the district councils, the veteran Congress leader however expressed concern over the instability factor affecting the executive committees (ECs) of the district councils.
“The absence of an anti-defection law has compounded the issue. In fact, the present chief executive member in KHADC is the fourth to hold the post in five years. So parties are apprehensive in this regard,” he said.
“The Citizenship Amendment Bill, which the BJP said it would bring if it came to power, has also had an effect in the polls. The BJP therefore has not been able to put up a candidate in the district councils,” Kharshiing said.
The Congress leader further said that the BJP overturn in the polls of three states (Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh) could have a bearing also on Meghalaya’s political scene in the days to come.
“If there’s a change in the political scene in Delhi after the Lok Sabha polls, a transformation in Meghalaya cannot be ruled out. District councils are dependent on funds from the state government and the latter would have its ways and means to entice parties to sway into their fold,” he said.
Electoral reforms
The MPCC general secretary also underlined the need for reforms in the electoral process as “money power” still has a strong influence on the district council polls.
“I had recently visited some of the constituencies and I could see the underlying current of money power encompassing candidates cutting across party lines, which is an aspect to be concerned about,” Kharshiing said.
“According to a study done by an NGO, the voting process was found to be influenced to a great extent by money power. In Meghalaya, the constituencies are relatively smaller and candidates win and lose by small margins. So if one keeps buying votes, and there are many strategies people adopt, it affects the electoral process,” he said.
“It is not easy to plug the loopholes in the district council polls as they are not mandated by the Election Commission of India,” he added.