From Saurav Borah
NORTH TURA, Feb 13: The ambience at the market at Rongram in North Tura constituency on Monday afternoon was crowded and busy, with not too many people, young and old, keen to comment on the Assembly elections slated for February 27.
There were a few who obliged though, a tad reluctantly at that, when this correspondent approached them.
Asked about the upcoming poll, Nawaraj Thapa, headmaster of the Rongram Gorkha Upper Primary School nearby, had mixed feelings.
“I am satisfied with the incumbent MLA as he has always paid heed to our requests, but I can’t say the same for the incumbent (MDA) government. Adhoc teachers were promised a cent percent salary increment prior to the last elections. But what the teachers got eventually was just a 23% pay increment,” Thapa, 52, told The Shillong Times.
“But yes, the MLA has been receptive and has tried to fulfill whatever he could in regard to some basic needs of the school,” he added.
Thapa however claimed that the incumbent government has not implemented the schemes in the way the common person on the ground would have liked to.
At the market, Kala Chetri, a middle-aged woman minced no words to vent her frustration.
“We have heard the pre-poll promises made by the past governments, including those led by the Congress and NPP, but none of them have been fulfilled as per our expectations. The benefits of the schemes announced over time have not percolated to the common man,” Chetri, a home-maker, told this correspondent.
A few kilometres away, at Rongkhon, a sleepy locality, 65-year-old Manel Marak, who runs a small grocery store, too is unhappy with the way political leaders have made tall promises before an election only to fall short of their claims later.
“For that matter, I have not seen much development over the past five decades of Meghalaya as a state. To cite one instance, the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme is still not effective in our locality and we have to pay money for the water that we get,” the senior citizen said.
Not too far away is a not-too happening ISBT Tura, which is far from being “fully” functional despite being inaugurated back in 2018. All that could be seen were a few vehicles parked on the premises.
“There are only a few routes and people generally take the buses and other small vehicles/taxis to Guwahati or Shillong from Tura town or from localities near their residence/commercial establishments. Besides, the amenities, unlike the ones that we see in the ISBT in Guwahati, are yet to come up,” said Thapa, minutes before catching a taxi to Guwahati from Rongram.
A few yards away, Silgrim T Sangma, who claims to have voted three times, complained about the mobile phone connectivity issues that still plague netizens in the locality.
“The 4G network that we have is only in name. The benefits of improved Internet connectivity seem to be a far cry,” the 24-year-old rues, while adding that the schemes enjoyed by students in neighbouring Assam were not prevalent in Meghalaya.
Chris Kabul A Sangma, a resident of Chitoktok, said a change was the need of the hour in the laidback constituency, be it road communication and basic amenities.
He however feels that the contest in North Tura will primarily be between NPP and BJP even as some of the votes will be taken away by Congress, UDP and TMC.
“People want change in Meghalaya…the kind of change that we are seeing in Assam,” he said, observing that the saffron party, which has played the polls on the development agenda, might have a greater presence even as a “fractured mandate” with regional party UDP as “kingmaker” seems to be on the cards.
North Tura is a Scheduled Tribe-reserved constituency located in the West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya. It is one of 60 constituencies in the state’s legislative assembly and falls under the jurisdiction of the Tura Lok Sabha constituency. The constituency has 34,232 voters and 46 polling stations.
The contestants from this constituency this time are sitting MLA from NPP, Thomas A. Sangma; Adamkid M Sangma from BJP; Billykid A Sangma from Congress and Rupert M Sangma from TMC.
While the sitting MLA could not be contacted, rivals from new entrant TMC besides BJP and Congress seemed confident of a good show.
“Anti-incumbency will work against the NPP. But I am very confident of winning,” said Adamkid of BJP.
On the other hand, TMC’s Rupert said that his work at the grassroots over the past six years would see him through. “The party as a new entrant (TMC) does not matter. My work will,” he said.
Billykid, who is contesting from the Congress, is also confident.
“Wherever I have gone during my campaign, people say that they are looking for a change. I have promised that if I win, the schemes will be implemented transparently. Besides, I can say that I have a good rapport with the youth,” he said.