SHILLONG, July 10: Meghalaya Pradesh Trinamool Congress (MPTC) president Charles Pyngrope on Sunday said a party MLA met the NDA’s presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu out of respect and not to assure his vote for her.
Stating that welcoming someone to a tribal state is different from voting for that person, he said, “Our party has no objection to anyone attending or welcoming a presidential candidate as it is only in the fitness of things to welcome a tribal lady to a tribal state out of respect.”
“How could we not welcome her?” he asked, asserting that the party MLA would vote for Yashwant Sinha, the presidential candidate named by the opposition.
The parent All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) is supporting Sinha, who will be locking horns with Murmu, the candidate of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
Trinamool legislator from Mawsynram, Himalaya Shangpliang attended an interactive session between the NDA counterparts and Murmu during her visit to Meghalaya last week. This raised many an eyebrow, as the AITC leadership has been against Murmu’s candidature.
Shangpliang had defended his presence at the event. “Many MLAs from different parties were invited and I did not attend on behalf of the MPTC but as an individual who respects the tribal identity of a woman nominated for the country’s highest post,” he said.
Meanwhile, speaking about the presidential election on July 18, MPTC leader George B Lyngdoh urged political parties in the state to vote with conscience since there are many people who are supporting the NDA’s nominee but are of the view that there are numerous instances of atrocities against Christians and minorities in the country.
“There are numerous instances of atrocities against Christians and minorities. So as part of the electoral college what better reason is there to defeat the NDA nominee,” Lyngdoh said.
He recalled that UDP president and Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh had flagged the issue of atrocities against Christians and minorities in the country with Murmu during her visit to the state last week.
Recalling AITC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s statement that BJP’s move to nominate a tribal candidate was only a token representation, Lyngdoh said, “This token representation will not ease the pain or end the sufferings of the Christians and other minorities.”
