NONGPOH, Jan 6: A day after resigning as MLA of Umsning, PDF leader Jason Sawkmie Mawlong formally joined the National People’s Party (NPP) at a function in Umsning Patarim, Ri-Bhoi, on Friday.
Along with Mawlong, former Umsning MDC Donkupar Sumer was also inducted into the NPP by the party’s state president, Dr WR Kharlukhi.
Top leaders of the NPP including Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, Cabinet Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, party MLAs and MDCs from across the state along with their supporters in hundreds attended the function in Ri-Bhoi.
Addressing the gathering, PDF turned NPP leader, Jason Sawkmie Mawlong said his decision to join the NPP was taking into consideration the work put in by the party in the last five years. According to him, the CM and deputy CM have never neglected the demands of the people of his constituency, which has received many developmental schemes.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, in his address, accorded a warm welcome to Jason Sawkmie Mawlong and Donkupar Sumer, as he expressed hope that the entry of the two leaders will strengthen the party in Umsning.`
NPP supremo Conrad Sangma said the party believes in the guiding principle of keeping the interests of people and the state first, while adding that the party is often criticised by its peers but it will continue to work towards the welfare of the people.
“…it is our duty to take every citizen of the state forward. Nobody should be left behind. There should not be any discrimination in any way. That is a true leader and a real party which believes in taking everybody along,” Conrad said, as he reiterated that the NPP will return to power after this year’s polls.
According to the CM, the state has scaled heights that were not achieved before; the overall expenditure has increased by 55 per cent from the budget expenditure of Rs 9,000 crore to Rs 17,000 crore, he said.
“If you look at the road sector, we have constructed more roads in the last five years than as many constructed in the last 20 years of our statehood. If you look at different women self help groups (SHGs), we have created more SHGs in the last five years than we have created in the last 50 years of statehood,” Sangma claimed.
