NEW DELHI/SHILLONG: Underdog Congress, the main opposition party in Meghalaya, is playing the CAA card in a bid to turn the table on the ruling conglomerate in the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls.
Sources said that the Congress leaders are silently campaigning among the ruling MDA partners about the “BJP connections” of NPP which is an ally of BJP-led NDA Government in Delhi.
To buttress their claim, they are reminding the MLAs belonging to the ruling coalition about how the NPP MP Agatha Sangma had voted in Parliament in favour of the contentious bill during the height on anti-CAB agitations in the entire North East in December last year.
On paper, Congress has 19 legislators in the 60-member Assembly as against 41 on the ruling side. Normally, it should be an open and shut case, but the opposition is out to exploit the state’s history of fragility of political bonding.
On the other hand, the ruling NPP dismisses all such speculations of cross-voting. “We are in the driving seat and will continue that way for the rest of the five years”, said a source of the coalition.
During a recent TV talk show, former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma preferred to hold his cards closest to his chest. He merely said that “the party is working on all possibilities” for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections slated for June 19.
In reply to a question put to him at the TV show, Sangma said that all political parties have their strategies for any elections and so also Congress. He was reluctant to divulge the party strategy. “We are keeping our strategy to ourselves”, a beaming Mukul had said during the talks.
Election to the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Meghalaya will be held simultaneously with other states on June 19 and Tuesday was the last date for filing nomination papers.
The Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) nominee and NPP state president WR Kharlukhi is pitted against the opposition Congress candidate and former legislator Kennedy Khyriem.
The seat fell vacant after Congress’s Wansuk Syiem completed her six-year term in April last.
Reservations against Kharlukhi
Agatha’s support to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) last year has apparently antagonised KHNAM MLA Adelbert Nongrum who is terming Kharlukhi’s candidature as unacceptable.
Asked for his take on rumours that he might abstain from voting in the June 19 election, Nongrum told The Shillong Times, “I have spoken to the CM about it and had raised the matter even during the MDA meeting where Kharlukhi’s candidature was finalised. I do not know whether I will cast my vote or not but I stand on the premise that I do not agree to his candidature as he is from the NPP. Even though I support the ruling side, I have to voice my opinion. I will never go against the will of my people and I will never betray their trust”.
Elaborating further, he said that Kharlukhi belongs to a party which supported CAA at a time when Meghalaya was demanding Inner Line Permit (ILP). The NPP supports the Central government which is determined to implement CAA in the state, he added.
UPF meet today
The United Progressive Forum (UPF) will meet on Friday to deliberate on the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the state besides the upcoming election to the lone Rajya Sabha seat on June 19.
The UPF consists of MLAs owing allegiance to the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government and drawn from three political parties – People’s Democratic Front (PDF), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) — besides an Independent.
The PDF has four MLAs, including two ministers — Hamletson Dohling from Mylliem constituency and Banteidor Lyngdoh from Mawkynrew constituency — besides Gavin Mylliem from Sohra and Jason S Mawlong from Umsning.
PDF acting president Banteidor Lyngdoh told reporters on Thursday that the Forum would come up with some suggestions to the state government for effective handling of the situation to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the state.
He said the Forum would also discuss on the issue related to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act before taking the views to the MDA meeting to be held on June 17.