RESUBELPARA, Jan 13: A former ticket aspirant from the National People’s Party (NPP) as well as the brother-in-law of Tura MP Agatha Sangma, Chireng Peter R Marak, on Friday cited the reasons for jumping ship to Congress.
Chireng, who is the Congress candidate from Kharkutta constituency, will engage in a political battle with the original choice of the NPP Rupert Momin, AITC’s Cherak Momin, UDP’s Luderberg Momin and a yet-to-be-announced candidate from the BJP.
Expressing confidence on a good show, Chireng felt that the NPP allotting the party ticket to the current MLA was wrong.
“I was disappointed with the decision of the party (NPP) for providing a ticket to the current MLA, Rupert Momin, who has lost all support on the ground in the constituency. The party should have done an evaluation of the situation before making a decision. After I was denied the ticket, my supporters stood by me and asked for me to contest the election as they were convinced with my vision for the constituency,” he said.
Chireng added that he was in a dilemma over the situation as he still wanted to align with the NPP’s objectives but was unhappy with the state of affairs.
“It was at this juncture that the Congress party showed their trust in me and my potential as not only a youth leader but also someone who could take on heavyweights in our constituency and beat them,” he said.
He also lamented that despite 50 years of statehood, Kharkutta area is yet to get the identity it deserves.
“You should just look at the Postal Index Number (PIN) for our areas, all of which come under Assam instead of Meghalaya even though there have been countless foundation stones laid. Why has this not been corrected even in 50 years? Let’s also talk about the development of our area which has been one of the worst in the entire state. People still have bridges to get across rivers and we are living in the 21st century,” he stated.
Chireng also felt that the people of the constituency were the main reason for him to join politics.
“You know what is worrying? There was a foundation stone laid for an eklavya school in Kharkutta Songgital in the year 2019 but till now not even a brick has been laid. This would have changed the lives of so many people from Kharkutta. What was the meaning of such stone-laying when you are not serious about education?,” Chireng said.
“I have always aspired to change the situation in Kharkutta having lived here all my life. The condition of the people and the lack of economic security have made me think about what I value. Being a youth leader, I have time on my side to ensure that the people get what they deserve,” he added.
Chireng is the son of a former MLA contestant, Saynal Sangma, who contested on a BJP ticket.
Currently, he is also being supported by a former MDC contestant from NPP Edbirth D Shira as well as the former BJP mandal president Joshua Momin along with working president of NPP Kharkutta Block Marbush Momin.
“We will win the election and not by a small margin but by a huge one as the people of the constituency are fed up with unfulfilled promises. They have already put a lot of their trust in me and if I win, I will ensure that I keep up to what the people have hoped for me to deliver,” added the Congress leader.
He added that he was happy with the way the Congress put its trust in him and was happy that he joined the oldest party in the country, which stood for development for over five decades.
“Currently, my constituency faces a problem with unemployment, underdevelopment and generally a lack of sustenance. Look at the JJM projects being implemented. While some receive water in their houses, the water is always undrinkable. Where is the potable water for every household? This is just the tip of the iceberg. Other projects too are completely stalled or given the short shrift but at what cost, the development of the people of my constituency?,” he asked.