TURA: Congress candidate Mukul Sangma has cautioned voters against bringing the BJP back to power in the centre warning that there is a danger to the country’s democratic values. He also did not rule out the close proximity between the BJP and the NPP since both are alliance partners in the centre and the state even though the two parties are fighting this election separately.
Speaking to The Shillong Times outside the deputy commissioner’s office in Tura, shortly after filing his nomination papers, Mukul Sangma threw a query asking for journalists to do an investigation into the alleged links between the BJP and the NPP indicating a nexus in this election for Tura.
“You know how the decision for putting up a BJP candidate has ultimately emerged. Do an investigative journalism on how the NPP was born, who nurtured it and who groomed it. You will find all the answers,” said Mukul Sangma.
Targeting the BJP, the Congress candidate said that a collective endeavour of the people is the need of the hour to sustain the country’s democracy.
“I am telling you this nation is going to throw out this regime,” a confident Mukul Sangma announced while attacking the BJP.
When it was pointed out that no successive Congress candidate has even been able to wrest the Tura seat from the family of P A Sangma, the Congress leader replied, “Please remember it was the Congress who groomed and nurtured them,”
When asked about his agenda in this election, Mukul Sangma said that it is to ensure the defeat of the current BJP government at the centre.
“When you talk about agenda you are talking about national politics and how things have unfolded in the recent past. How the nation is subjected to so much uncertainty, issues of terrorism, joblessness, plight of farmers and traders and overall the situation across the nation. The democracy per se is under threat today,” warned Mukul Sangma.
He said that these issues are before the people of the country who are witnessing the happenings.
“People must come together and collectively ensure the defeat of the current regime and ensure the installation of a new government,” appealed the Congress candidate.
On the issues concerning Tura parliamentary seat, Mukul Sangma targeted the NPP led government in the state and chief minister Conrad K Sangma for the problems, particularly water supply.
“I’m a little disturbed because I am having to pay for collection of my water. I think many of you are also facing this problem of water shortage. This is the constituency of the chief minister,” said the Congress leader and accused the state government of failing to address the problems.
He mentioned that Tura has many problems beginning with social sector, infrastructure gaps, the widening disparity among the haves and the have-nots and said that the issue of potentiality which exists has not been tapped at all.
“A policy maker needs to have the in-depth understanding about the complexity of the problems associated with the people of the north-east, the complexities associated with the problem of the region. Only then you will be able to articulate all those challenges appropriately while formatting policies and address them accordingly,” suggested Mukul Sangma.