TURA: The Garo National Council, oldest political party of the Garos, has announced that it will have no truce with the Congress in this Lok Sabha elections and will instead be supporting the NPP and it’s candidate Agatha K Sangma.
The announcement comes a day after one of its leaders heading the agitation for a separate Garoland state decided to back the Congress.
“We are a part of the coalition government led by the NPP in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council and also an alliance partner with the UDP at the state level where their candidate Jemimo Mawthoh is our common candidate for the Shillong Lok Sabha seat. So it is very obvious on whose side we are supporting. Agatha is the candidate our party will be supporting for the Tura MP seat,” announced GNC president Mrs Kalpana D Sangma, widow of former GNC legislator and president Clifford Marak.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on Sunday morning, Kalpana Sangma denied media reports of her party deciding to back Congress candidate Mukul Sangma in this election.
“There is no truth about the reports of GNC extending support for Congress,” she clarified.
When it was brought to her notice that one of their own leaders, Nikman Ch Marak, had openly endorsed Mukul Sangma’s candidature, the GNC supremo downplayed the reports.
“Nikman is leading the Garoland State Movement Committee which is an NGO. He or anyone else from the GSMC is free to support anyone in their individual capacity. But as a party we are with the NPP,” announced Kalpana Sangma.
“Nikman himself refused to contest the MP election citing financial constraints. Then they (Nikman) wanted to bring a candidate from outside our party to contest which we rejected,” revealed the GNC president.
Nikman, on Saturday, reiterated his stand that the GSMC would back the Congress for opposing the Citizenship Amendment Bill. He also accused the NPP of distancing itself from the Garoland issue after the demise of late P A Sangma.