SHILLONG, March 23: What started as a voice of dissent has now turned into a full-blown tiff between the two MDA coalition heavyweights — the NPP and the UDP — with the former on Tuesday going all out against UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh for demanding the ouster of Power Minister, James Sangma.
NPP’s national youth wing president, Nickey Nongkhlaw came down heavily on the UDP leader for demanding James’ ouster saying the party should have raised the matter with the MDA coordination committee. “When anything happens the NPP does not go public in blaming others in the coalition. The matter should have been discussed internally first,” Nongkhlaw said on Tuesday.
Attacking the UDP leader, Nongkhlaw said, “In spite of the difficulties related to the Power department the minister was doing his best to resolve the issues. Mawthoh who has been a silent spectator all this while suddenly found a good opportunity to gain political mileage.”
Stating that ousting an elected representative and an administrative head does not solve any problem but delays solution, Nongkhlaw said that the UDP general secretary was trying to fish in troubled waters keeping in view the 2023 Assembly elections.
“There are so many issues in other departments but nobody is talking about that. Everyone is fixated with this department only. It is not as if load-shedding has happened for the first time.” The NPP youth president said.
Admitting that there is an issue in the Power department, Nongkhlaw said, “It has to be streamlined slowly and steadily and it is not going to happen in two or three years. It took Mukul Sangma so many years and yet he failed to resolve the issues. The NTPC agreement was signed in his tenure and it has turned out to be a burden not just for the government but the people of the state but they are blaming the NPP.”
Referring to the statement made by UDP MLA and Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui that he was not intimated on the letter sent to the Chief Minister, Nongkhlaw said, “BJP’s demand was a personal opinion of its state president and now the UDP is staring at the same situation.”