SHILLONG, Nov 19: It is being dubbed as political vendetta, revenge even aspiration as South Tura constituency, the bastion of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, gears up to experience one of the most interesting contest of next year’s Assembly polls.
While the BJP emboldened by the release of its probable candidate Bernard N Marak is firing on all cylinders, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is also surging ahead aggressively with its youth leader Richard Marak taking on the mantle.
After spending more than three months in jail in a litany of cases lodged against him by the Meghalaya Police, incarcerated BJP MDC Marak was finally released after the Court granted him bail in all cases registered against him.
Bernard was arrested in the now famous ‘Rimpu Bagan’ incident where the MDC was accused of running a sex racket as well as being involved in POCSO cases. Cases under the ‘Arms Act’ were also registered after the police raid on the premises also recovered arms.
Marak’s release has given a new lease of life to the BJP, with the saffron brigade even challenging the Chief Minister to contest polls only from South Tura seat and not try to evade the TMC by fighting on two seats.
“Chief Minister Conrad Sangma is aware of the rising popularity of Bernard Marak and is scared of losing the peoples’ mandate in Tura. The people of Tura and the state have already made up their mind to oust the NPP government in the upcoming elections,” State BJP president Ernest Mawrie had said.
Talking about the possible impact in the political spectrum that could be caused by Bernard’s release, TMC Chief Whip, George B Lyngdoh, said, “There are sentiments linked to the ideology of everybody, therefore being an elected leader of the district council definitely he will have a fan following and some who believe in his ideology and leadership; impact will be there on his supporters”.
“Everybody has got a strong presence no doubt considering the fact Bernard being elected representatives of the district council, CM being CM himself, and TMC’s young leader Richard he has got very strong foothold now in South Tura,” he said.
Lyngdoh said, “We will be projecting our own ideologies hopes and aspirations and everybody will be having a strong stake we leave to the wisdom of the people”.
Meanwhile, State president of the NPP and parliamentarian, Dr WR Kharlukhi said, “I don’t see any impact with his release. In the last elections, BJP got only two seats from Shillong and zero in Garo Hills”.
