GUWAHATI: The Conrad Sangma-led National Peoples Party (NPP) on Wednesday opened a significant chapter by launching its Assam state unit on a day the party-led government in Meghalaya completed a year in office.
The move, which comes at a time when NPP has already made political inroads into three other Northeast states, is yet another leap towards connecting the people of the region with the PA Sangma-founded party’s ideals and identity.
“Today is significant as it marks one year completion of the MDA government in Meghalaya. More importantly, we have launched the Assam state unit of NPP. Late PA Sangma’s desire has always been that there should be a platform that speaks for the interests and issues related to the Northeast,” Sangma, who is the party’s national president, told the media on the sidelines of the launch here on Wednesday.
Several co-conveners and youth members were inducted into the Assam unit of NPP at a public function here. Retired IPS officer from Assam, Dilip Borah was appointed the convener of the party for Assam on Sunday.
The party, which has hinted of having a presence in all the Northeast states, has in its governing body meeting in Shillong, resolved to contest all the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the region. “We are working towards that objective and the election committee will take a final call at the right time,” Sangma said.
Assam has 14 parliamentary seats, for which the party is working on a strategy in regard to putting up candidates.
The Meghalaya chief minister also stressed on having the “numbers” to get the voice of the Northeast heard in Delhi.
“In spite of our differences we in the Northeast face common challenges and problems which can be addressed better if we are united, which is exactly the basis on which NPP was founded. We want to take our vision to all corners of the Northeast so that NPP can take the voice of the region to Delhi, which as a matter of fact has always given importance to numbers (more MPs and MLAs), when it comes to hearing the issues of the region,” Sangma said.
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