SHILLONG, Jan 11: NPP supremo and Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Wednesday broke his silence on Opposition’s onslaught on his prospects in the upcoming Assembly polls, while taking a jibe at the Trinamool Congress (TMC) over its promise of generating 3 lakh jobs in state if voted to power.
He said the leaders of the opposition party are pretending to be the change that people seek with their ‘TMC jersey’, while they threw away the opportunity when they were with the Congress and in power.
“The 3 lakh number being promised, if they were really serious they would have done when they were in power. But they did not take any steps to do anything so I don’t know what are the new things they are going to do,” the Chief Minister said referring to the TMC’s promise of creating 3 lakh jobs for the youths if voted to power.
“I think in eight years (of Congress regime), the people have seen their work and the kind of economic situation and hardship they made the people face where even the projects they had laid foundation for and started the work could not find funds to be completed,” he added.
The NPP national president said the MDA Government ultimately completed the pending projects, while citing the Ampati water supply scheme as an example. “If you look at it after the sanctions were done, very less amount, hardly about Rs 5 to 10 crore were released during the past government’s term,” he added, while claiming that nearly Rs 100 crore have been released for the project in Ampati.
The CM stated that the people voted for a change in 2018. “Now we are seeing things move forward and different programmes are being introduced. The farmers are helped, 45,000 self-help groups have been formed and so many other areas and avenues of job creations have come up besides employment generation opportunities,” he said.
CM ends speculations
Meanwhile, Conrad, who is the South Tura MLA, ended all speculations by declaring that he will only be contesting from the South Tura seat.
“The party has decided and all the leaders have decided together. I also have decided that I will only be contesting from South Tura and no other constituency,” the CM said confirming the report of The Shillong Times that he is unlikely to contest from any other constituency apart from his own.
Earlier, rumours circled about Conrad eyeing the Selsella seat apart from his bastion South Tura.
“There are 58 constituencies that we have already announced. There are two constituencies where we have not announced and both those constituencies are in Khasi Hills. Therefore, I don’t think there is much scope for me to think about it and of course there is no question of me contesting in two seats,” he added.
It may be noted that Conrad Sangma will defend the South Tura seat against John Leslee Sangma and Bernard Sangma besides others in this year’s assembly polls.
Asked if any agreement has been arrived upon with regard to who will get the CM’s position after polls, Conrad said, “Whatever the situation is in the future, it will be the MLAs who will be democratically elect (the CM) and that depends on them. I have nothing to say on that”.
In the last elections, it was agreed that whichever region gets the largest numbe of MLAs in the polls, the CM’s post will be represented by a leader from that region.
Pointed out that the coalition partners of the MDA are acting like they were nevr a aprt of the coalition and pushing on all the blame to the NPP he said, “It is ok since as a Chief Minister I guess for anybody trying to make comments it goes like.. I am fine with that. When I took over the role and responsibility as the Chief Minister in 2018 I had to be mentally prepared and I take responsibility for everything and I have always said it whenever there has been any situation I have always come forward and took responsibility”.
On the MDA allies singling out the NPP on allegations against the government, the CM said he is fine with the impeachment. “I have nothing negative to say against them,” he added.
Recently, BJP leader Bernard Marak had accused Conrad of winning the assembly polls because of BJP’s support.
Asked for his comment, the CM denied Bernard’s claims and stated that 13,000 people voted for him, while adding that it does not mean he brought all the votes for him
“As an individual, he (Marak) helped, everybody helped. But to claim that it was because of him is unfortunate,” Sangma said, adding that the BJP leader was undermining the effort of the people of the constituency.
On UDP candidate for South Tura seat, John Leslee K Sangma’s remark that the CM is panicking, Conrad said pictures have always been put up during elections and it is done by all the governments. He said there is no co-relation between the two.
