SHILLONG, Jan 29: The NPP has derisively dismissed the UDP’s claim that they were set to form government on their own.
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong pooh-poohed the UDP’s ambitious claim saying that it (UDP) will secure no more than six seats in the February 27 polls.
On the other hand, he projected that the NPP would be winning 33 out of the 60 seats to secure absolute majority.
While addressing a public meeting at Mawphlang on Saturday, Tynsong claimed that the party will win at least 19 seats from Khasi-Jaintia and another 14 seats from the Garo Hills region.
“We will again take over the Secretariat to lead the people of the state after the polls,” Tynsong who is also the NPP national vice president said.
Questioning the claim of the UDP that they are going to win 31 seats, he wanted to know how the party can make such tall claims when even the founding member of the UDP, Bindo Mathew Lanong had to come out from the party to form the UDP (Original).
“I don’t see the UDP managing to win many seats. What I foresee is that they will draw a blank in Garo Hills and will not cross even six seats in Khasi-Jaintia Hills,” Tynsong said.
Making a case for NPP, he pointed out that the MDA coalition had attempted to resolve thorny issues which could not be sorted out for the past 50 years. “We had attempted to resolve the long pending interstate border dispute with Assam which none of the government in the past dared to touch.
Referring to TMC’s threat to scrap the MoU signed between Meghalaya and Assam on the interstate border, Tynsong said, “My question is will the people elect the TMC to power.”
While attacking TMC parliamentary party leader and former chief minister, Mukul Sangma, Tynsong said that he was part of the previous governments and had accompanied the former chief minister for a meeting to discuss the border issue.