SHILLONG, May 30: All is not well in the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance. The growing list of allegations against the National People’s Party-led coalition and rising public agony against four years of misgovernance is finally putting a strain on the delicate umbilical bond among the political allies.
Whether it was for stability or whether it was the agenda of furthering their political career, the MDA allies like UDP and the BJP chose to look the other way while the list of irregularities against the government continued to grow.
However, with the 2023 polls round the corner, the allies have apparently woken up from their slumber and talks of withdrawal of support have begun to emerge.
While the BJP is diagonally split over the decision on quitting the MDA, the UDP seems to be clear in its mindset – it is sticking with the coalition because “withdrawal of support would mean imposition of President’s rule”.
The UDP narrative has not gone down well with the NPP and has evoked a sharp rebuttal from Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, who, on Monday said the two parties (UDP & BJP) were trying to show the NPP in a bad light as the Assembly elections are a few months away.
“Just because the election is around the corner, they are coming out with such statements. My only question to the UDP leaders is: if the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government is so damaging, why are they scared of the President’s rule, which is according to the Constitution of India?” he said while reacting to the recent statements by UDP leaders Bindo Mathew Lanong and Jemino Mawthoh.
He said the NPP has nothing to comment on the allegations made by the alliance partners.
“Any decision taken (by the government) has followed due consultation with all the constituents of the MDA and the MDA Coordination Committee. We have always discussed threadbare the issues and policies of the government on these two platforms,” Tynsong said.
“We never bypass anyone on any decision or programmes before moving forward,” he said.
But there is an attempt to put the blame on the NPP, Tynsong observed.
“Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and I are ready to take the blame. Let us not debate,” he added, insisting the NPP leaders do not spend sleepless nights.
The deputy CM said they cannot help it if the partners are not happy with the NPP.
“We are now ready to go back to the people of the state. We will see whether the people have faith in the NPP or not,” he said.
Tynsong, also the national vice-president of the NPP, said his party is now concentrating on visiting each and every village and locality to make the people understand its agenda for the greater good of the state.
