By H H Mohrmen
The political scenario in the state of Meghalaya has changed. Except for the main party, all of the political parties that were members of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) are now seeking change. It is no surprise that the ruling dispensation is now being cornered by its former partners, who were left to fend for themselves. In spite of the fact that parties like the United Democratic Party (UDP), the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), the People’s Democratic Front (PDF), and the Hill State Peoples’ Democratic Party (HSPDP) were part of the National People’s Party (NPP)-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government, they talk about bringing change to the state if they are voted to power.
A case of the “pot calling the kettle black.”
The question that begs the answer is: If the parties are calling for change, change from what? If they were part of the previous ruling dispensation and still talk about change, does that mean that they are not happy with the performance of the government that they were part of? If the parties who were part of the MDA government also call for change, what does that imply? Can the public then conclude that the government did not perform? Can it be concluded that the partners in the MDA government are in consensus that the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance has failed? These are some of the questions that the citizens of the state are asking. The other pertinent question is: can these parties, which have been partnering with the NPP to run the government for the last five years, leave the NPP high and dry and put all the blame on the party? Can these parties absolve themselves of all the wrongs that happened during the MDA government regime? There are also reports in the media that the BJP, a partner in the MDA, also called the NPP-led MDA government the most corrupt government in the country. This is a startling revelation, and isn’t this a case of the pot calling the kettle black?
Old wine in a new bottle
Even a new party, the All India Trinamul Congress (AITMC), which has unexpectedly appeared on the battlefield, preaches change. Can the voters trust the party, which only made its debut in the political scenario in the state last year, to bring change to the state if it is voted to power? The truth is that, while the party is new in the state, everyone knows it only exists in name. Is it not true that most of the leaders of the party were former Congress legislators who had defected to the new party? Also, the question is, is it not true that AITMC is just old wine in a new bottle because all the main players in the new party are old politicians who were members of other political parties? Can the people of the state expect change from the party where the players are the same and they only change their uniforms?
New Kids on the Block
This 2023 election is also special when people see the emergence of two new political parties in the political scenario in the state. One of the new political parties in the state that made its first appearance just a few months ago is Ka Kam. The new party introduces a new approach to the political system in the state, and it is attempting to bring change to the system by changing the way the campaign for the election is conducted. The party is contesting in three constituencies, and it needs more than what it has today to be able to bring some kind of change to the state. The other party, which appeared only recently, is the Voice of the People Party, and the main plank on which this party stands is to bring change to the state. The VPP may be a new party, but it is led by firebrand politicians Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit and Adelbert Nongrum, who had defected to the VPP from other parties. Both the politicians were MLAs who had won from other parties, but now they are switching sides to the VPP. The two new parties also promise to usher in change in the state, but the question is: will they be able to get the numbers to initiate the change they had promised to the voters?
The people also wonder how these two parties, which share the same mission of bringing change to the state, could come together to form a formidable political force in the state. The two new parties have lost confidence in the existing regional parties in the state. They can be a political force to reckon with in the state only if they can come together and unite under one banner to fight against the rot in the state, which is corruption.
Anti-incumbent factors
Today, the NPP is the target of all insults; the insults come not only from opposition parties, but also, sadly, from ruling partners. The NPP then received attacks for the government’s alleged bad governance from certain pressure groups too. Is this just rubbing salt in the wounds, and will the NPP suffer as a result of the anti-incumbency factor? The next important question is: if there is an anti-incumbency factor, is it going to have an impact on the NPP only? What about the other political parties that were part of the MDA government—are they not going to be affected by the anti-incumbency factor?
Community-led change
In Jaintia Hills, the only change that is happening is change led by the communities. In Jaintia Hills in general and Jowai Constituency in particular, the election campaign has always been an expensive affair. Parties and politicians hire buses and paid for the fuel of vehicles that are used every night to ferry supporters from one place to another. This goes on every night from the day of the scrutiny of nomination papers of the candidates was completed till the day the campaign is over. During the campaign, the candidates also provide tea and food for the canvasser, and in the process, every candidate spends a huge amount of money every night of the campaign. But this time around, unlike in the past, change has happened when many of the dorbar chnong in Jowai have only allowed the candidates to bring some of their supporters to campaign for votes in their respective localities. In all the Dorbar Chnongs, which fall in the area called Pohchnong, Jowai had a similar arrangement where bringing the crowd to canvass for the candidate is prohibited. It is heartening to know that even the Dorbar Chhnong in the urban areas of East Jaintia Hills have made similar arrangements to dissuade candidates and political parties from bringing huge crowds for campaigning.
It may be mentioned that it was the dorbar chnong Panaliar which had started prohibiting candidates from bringing their supporters when they came to campaign in their locality. Now other dorbar chnong like Iongpiah, Loompyrdi, Loomiongkjam, and others forbid candidates and parties from bringing crowds to campaigns in their locality, village, or chnong. This has saved the candidates and the parties a lot of money, but there are also new campaign approaches that certain communities have introduced.
Common platform
A common platform where candidates debate to woo voters’ support was also organised by certain dorbar chnong in the urban areas of Jowai town. The two dorbar chnong, Khimunsniang and Tympang Iawmusiang, were the localities that organised a debate on a common platform for all the candidates in the constituency. The two dorbar chnong invited all the candidates contesting for the constituency to a common platform, and everything was arranged by the locality, town, or chnong. It is therefore now obvious that we cannot expect the politicians or the political parties to bring about change in the state. Only the public can make change happen.