SHILLONG, Dec 6: All India Trinamool Congress-Meghalaya (AITC-M) president,
said the people will see a change if the party is voted to power in 2023.
“I can assure that there will be positive changes and good governance if we get the mandate to form the government,” Pyngrope told reporters on the sidelines of a function where he was felicitated for his election as the AITC-M chief.
He said the party will soon reach out to people to highlight the policies that it aims to implement in the near future.
“We will clearly spell out the programmes and policies once we kick off our campaign,” he said.
The pro-poor programmes and schemes have helped the AITC win the support of people in West Bengal. It has helped the party to rule the state for three straight terms, Pyngrope said.
Asked if the party has enough time to strengthen itself in all 60 constituencies with just over a year left for the elections, he claimed it has the advantage as it can rise in the base occupied by the Congress earlier.
“We already have our base in at least 12 Assembly constituencies. I am confident the people will back the TMC in all constituencies. The only question is how many or how less the people at the block level will join the party,” he said. Pyngrope said it is incumbent upon the party leaders to educate people that supporting the AITC will be for a better future.
He said the argument that AITC is a “Bangla party” does not hold any water, stating that all national parties are non-tribal entities. Even the founder leaders of the Congress are mostly Bengalis, he said.
He asserted that the AITC works for the people and it has a proven track record in West Bengal. He said elections in Meghalaya are personality-driven but one cannot single out something to determine the success of the AITC.
“We will now try to build our organisational structure. I will try to set up the full body of the state unit within a week’s time,” he said.
State leadership to select candidates
Pyngrope said the party’s central leadership will not make any changes to the proposed list of candidates submitted by the state leadership.
“I have been assured by AITC chairperson, Mamata Banerjee that the central leadership will not interfere with the decision taken by the state leadership. She also assured that we will be given complete freedom to work but she insisted that whatever decision we take, it should be strictly as per the rules,” he said.
Recalling an incident while he was in the Congress, Pyngrope said the AICC had in 2013 altered the list proposed by the MPCC by denying ticket to former Mawryngkneng MLA, David A Nongrum even after it was proposed by the Block Congress Committee and endorsed by both the District Congress Committee and the MPCC.
“We cannot underestimate the aspirations and feelings of the common man. We may recall that the late Nongrum had won the election contesting as independent,” Pyngrope said.
He said he will ensure that the names of party candidates finalised by the state leaders are not changed. He said the party leadership will determine the winnability factor and then award tickets to the most deserving candidates.