SHILLONG: The regional parties in the state are looking up to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a source of inspiration even as the notion of uniting the regional parties under one umbrella or even to merge them is being re-ignited.
The Shillong Times spoke to some leaders of regional parties for their opinion as they view AAP’s victory in the Delhi Assembly elections as a positive sign for regional parties in the state as well.
United Democratic Party (UDP) general secretary Jemino Mawthoh suggested a strong regional force in the state to outdo the national parties.
“We want to have one strong regional force so that we can articulate the issues of the public and the state in a better way because if there is fragmentation, people will be discouraged and will have doubts”, he said.
“It will be a boost to other regional parties also. Definitely things are going to change in the days to come when majoritarian rule at the Centre has led to stirs in many parts of the country. Even majoritarian rule can be challenged in a country like India”, he observed.
Mawthoh added that it was late UDP president Donkupar Roy’s dream to bring together all regional parties under one banner.
Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) general secretary and local MLA from Mawkyrwat, Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar, echoed the views.
He was optimistic that the acceptance of regional parties will be replicated in the state as well but admitted it would be an arduous task as there are many.
He recalled the time when he had discussed about unity of all regional forces and the idea of merging the regional parties
or to bring them under one umbrella with Roy.
“The best the regional parties can do is to merge or come together on one platform so that we become a strong force”, Tongkhar said.
“It seems that the people have started to accept state parties. We are inspired and expect that the people of the state will also accept regional parties”, he said.
Rise of regional forces: Ampareen
Congress MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh said that the victory of AAP is a clear indicator that the era of regional forces is here.
“It is something that we should learn. It is an era of a drastic political transformation in the country. We have seen that in every state, the regional forces are in the front”, she said.
Commenting about regional forces in the state, she said it is at a very early stage but that changes can happen.
“A lot can happen between now and the 2023 elections… regional forces are now taking shape to fight the onslaught of plans and programmes of the Centre. Suddenly every state realises that we have to create a force for ourselves because the diktat of the Centre is very harmful for states”, she said.
Lyngdoh was critical of the degeneration of the federal structure of the country observing that the Centre functions as per its whims and fancies.
“States are now telling the central government one thing – protect the democracy and the Constitution that was given to us by the founders of this nation”, she added.
Lyngdoh noted that there was no element of surprise in Congress’ dismal performance as the party was aware that it would take time to make a comeback post the Sheila Dixit era.
She admitted that many Congress supporters had decided to vote for AAP because they wanted a government which is different from the current dispensation at the Centre.
Terming Arvind Kejriwal a fantastic CM, she said that she has reviewed his power and health programme and lauded his reforms in the education sector by making government schools popular once again.
Kejriwal is a CM that needs to be emulated across the country, she observed.
