SHILLONG, Nov 4: The National People’s Party on Thursday countered the allegations by Congress that it had bought votes to win the Mawryngkneng seat.
State NPP president, WR Kharlukhi said Congress lost the seat deliberately as senior leaders Charles Pyngrope, Ampareen Lyngdoh and RG Lyngdoh have a bigger plan of contesting from Mawryngkneng, Nongthymmai and Laitumkhrah in the 2023 Assembly polls.
“Congress should behave as a responsible national party. Do not be a bad loser and accept that people have rejected you instead of accusing other parties of indulging in money play without any proof,” he said.
“They (Congress) are living in a dream, trying to make the people believe what they project is the truth while we have always asked them to prove their allegations if they can,” Kharlukhi said.
Pointing out that the state Congress accuses NPP of money play whenever it loses badly, he advised them to lodge a complaint or an FIR if they have substantial proof.
“Accept the people’s verdict. We can also accuse Congress of money play without proof,” he said.
The state NPP chief said Congress works on assumptions and if one goes by such assumptions, the grand old party lost Mawryngkneng for the larger plan of fielding Pyngrope later.
“I pity Highlander Kharmalki. He is just a pawn in the political chessboard of Congress,” he said.
Assumptions can also be made about Ampareen Lyngdoh and R.G. Lyngdoh fancying contesting from the Nongthymmai and Laitumkhrah seats respectively, he added.
Reminding Congress of its reign in Meghalaya for more than 30 years, Kharlukhi said: “Tell the people what you have done in all these years. We have told them what we have done in three-and-a-half years and this is the result.”
On the factors that helped NPP win two seats in the by-elections, he said the party started preparations much in advance and the workers and supporters put in a lot of planning and effort. Implementation of government schemes also helped, he added.
The NPP worked harder for Rajabala, reaching out to the people long before selecting a candidate for the seat, Kharlukhi said.
Mawryngkneng and Rajabala were Congress bastions that the NPP snatched.