The National Peoples’ Party (NPP) and United Democratic Party (UDP) have been coalition partners in the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government for over four years now but as the time for the 2023 election approaches the two parties are each making public claims that they would fare much better and the hint is that each will not need the other to form the next government. This souring of relationship is evident from the manner in which the striking SSA teachers withdrew their agitational programme after the Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong called the leaders of the SSA teachers for a talk after the Education Minister had given them an ultimatum to call off the strike or face consequences. This face-off between the Education Minister, a UDP MLA and the striking teachers could have taken a very serious turn. It took the statesmanship of Tynsong to placate them and send them back to their classes. If this was a game of cards, then the first round has gone to Tynsong of the NPP. But this has surely not gone well with the UDP.
The recent induction of former Congress MLA of Mawphlang constituency, Kennedy Khyriem into the NPP would mean that Khyriem would be pitted against Eugeneson Lyngdoh of the UDP who won the recent bye-election after the demise of his father Syntar Klas Sunn. Similar direct contests would play out between the UDP and NPP in several constituencies including some in Garo Hills. What is interesting is that the MDA Government is about to complete its 5-year tenure without a Common Minimum Programme (CMP). This means that neither the UDP nor the NPP had any substantive issues that they had laid out before the public in their respective manifesto. The UDP and NPP never had a pre-poll alliance hence it is obvious that the two parties had set out for the 2018 polls with their respective manifestos. So what did the manifestos say? Did both the coalition partners make similar promises? If not, how does the UDP – which makes tall claims about standing for regional aspirations set out to achieve those aspirations while working with a Party that has a national ideology? These are important aspects of politics but because political parties are not held to scrutiny they continue to take voters for a ride.
It is in this context that democracy requires an informed electorate. In the 2023 polls what will be the stand of the UDP vis-à-vis the NPP? Will people continue to be misled by these two coalition partners that have been overseeing one scam after another during their tenure? Or do they believe that the voters will forget all these acts of omission and commission once the election fervour starts? Much will depend on the other political parties that are emerging on the horizon.
