‘Be wary of NPP or you’ll get devoured’

SHILLONG, Feb 18: Opposition Chief Whip and All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) leader, George V Lyngdoh on Friday asked the allies of the National People’s Party (NPP) to be wary of the party or they will get devoured by it.
Lyngdoh went on to caution that the NPP is not only trying to create cracks in the AITC but also trying to move as a political powerhouse to eat up all the coalition partners.
He advised them to read the political signs.
Elaborating, he said, “If you look at Nongpoh, they are poaching. Probable NPP candidates are poaching UDP (United Democratic Party) supporters and NPP MLA from Mawhati (Dasakhiat Lamare) is going to Nongkrem against the sitting MLA (Lambor Malngiang) of the coalition.”
Malngiang, who is an Independent MLA, has already pledged his support to the ruling coalition.
Lyngdoh said the NPP is trying to gain ground among AITC MLAs and has also set its sights on the constituencies of its coalition partners in Khasi and Jaintia Hills. This is an open secret, he said. “The largest party in the government is trying to threaten the existence of all regional parties in the coalition,” Lyngdoh said.
Reacting to the statement of NPP national president and Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma that there are visible cracks in the AITC, Lyngdoh said, “I can only say that the NPP possibly sees better leadership in the AITC and that is why, they are trying to dislodge our party by showing artificial cracks to suggest there are people leaving the AITC.”
Maybe, shaken by the AITC’s presence in the state, the NPP wants more and more AITC leaders to join the ruling party, Lyngdoh said.
He said the NPP will try to poach people not only from the AITC but also from other parties to consolidate its position. “What people should understand is that they (NPP) are also trying to threaten their coalition partners,” he added.
The CM had earlier claimed that cracks have developed in the AITC and many of its leaders are in touch with his party.