TURA, Oct 21: Tall claims of the ruling NPP in the Rajabala by-election campaign seeking votes in favour of their candidate by citing their position of power in the state government appears to have backfired with the regional United Democratic Party (UDP), which is also a constituent of the MDA government, reminding ‘big brother’ of the ill-fated Danggo fiasco and proving to them that as a regional powerhouse they too have a footing, decisive or otherwise, when it comes to decision making in the state.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has been campaigning for the past couple of days in Rajabala mentioning that “a vote for the NPP is a vote for development” with appeals to voters against waste of their precious vote for other parties.
Giving back in kind to the chief minister’s vote seeking tactic, Cabinet minister and UDP leader, Lahkmen Rymbui cited the example of the by-election to Ranikor in South West Khasi Hills when Congress MLA Martin Danggo resigned to join the NPP and re-contest so as to get accommodated in the government, only to face a disastrous result.
“Martin Danggo left Congress and joined the NPP because it was in government. Yet, we defeated him through our candidate Pius Marwein with a substantial margin of votes. That says a lot of what we as a regional party can do,” Rymbui said in his address to voters.
To buttress his story further, sitting by his side was Pius Marwein, the giant killer of Ranikor.
Rymbui also reminded the gathering that those who associate with them are not forgotten and mentioned about their associate member and Baghmara MLA Samuel Sangma for whom the party and government was able to clear a substantial number of developmental projects.
With supporters of the regional party raising complaints about threat and persuasion from their senior ally and partner in government, the UDP has brought in their big guns to neutralise the NPP charge that only the latter can provide the much needed development for Rajabala.
“You should not fall for threats when it comes to your vote. This is a democracy and no one can or has the right to forcibly demand your vote. That decision only you as a voter can make. Remember, we are also in the government and we are focussing on development issues. Soon we will have our own GHADC MDC with Ashahel D Shira having already joined us,” Rymbui said.
Shira won the recent council polls as a congress candidate from Batabari but resigned from the party to join the UDP after being overlooked for the ticket for Rajabala by-election.
A host of local UDP leaders including former Rongram legislator Sengman Marak, former GHADC Chairman Cary Marak and Utpal Arengh attended the meeting.
Their candidate Ashahel D Shira has also been laying waste to the tall claims of his opponent.
“I am the candidate of the UDP which is in power in the state. If elected I too can bring development, not just the NPP. My track record is there of the work I have done when I was the MLA for five years from 2013. I have my family history here. My grandmother was the first woman legislator from the constituency and my father was two times a GHADC MDC of the area,” he reminds voters at his meetings.
The UDP, just as much as the Congress, have been troubled with reports of voter intimidation that has been blamed on alleged supporters of the NPP candidate Abdus Saleh.
“Government workers including teachers are threatened with transfer, but they (NPP) forget that the education minister hails from the UDP,” says former MDC Cary Marak while citing Rymbui’s position in the current government.