SHILLONG, Feb 21: The ruling NPP is trying its utmost to retain power at the hustings but the party seems to be gearing up for the all-important voting day on February 27 without a chief ministerial face.
NPP national vice president and Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Tuesday made two important announcements — first was that the new chief minister (from NPP) would be elected by the party MLAs after the elections while the second was that NPP was comfortable with either a Khasi-Jaintia or a Garo CM, as long as the “person is from the state”.
“There is no arrangement (CM candidate) at all. What we have decided is this all new elected NPP MLAs will sit together immediately after the counting of votes and elect a (new) leader,” Tynsong said when asked if any arrangement has been made on whether the ‘new’ CM will be from Khasi-Jaintia Hills or Garo Hills.
“Our focus and decision is clear. Let us cross the bridge…we need to get 32-34 seats then stability will be there. The decision on the leader will also be taken and all the elected representatives will have the right to elect their leader,” he said.
When pointed out that there has been no CM from the Khasi-Jaintia region for the past 13 years, Tynsong said, “We should not talk about this region or that. Of course we should not allow anyone from outside Meghalaya to be the CM but it should be from here.”
“We are Meghalayans and our state is small. We need to be one then only we will be able to become stronger and carry forward the programmes of the party,” he added.
On the fate of the MDA post elections, Tynsong said the NPP was resolved to stand alone after the polls if the numbers favour them.
“We are sure to cross 32-33 seats and once we do that we will form the government on our own. We do not need anybody and we will give stability and the best governance,” Tynsong said, obliquely hinting that the MDA might disintegrate after the polls.
Attacking the MDA’s allies for playing a ‘double standard’ political game, Tynsong said, “Almost all the allegations and statements made by the different political parties including partners in the MDA like BJP, UDP, PDF, HSPDP, NCP and even independents are against NPP. When they go to their own respective constituencies their main agenda is to target the NPP as if we were the only ones running the government.”
Pointing out that the Congress and the TMC have also been keep making relentless allegations against NPP’s misrule and corruption, he said, “These allegations only prove that NPP has become stronger by the day otherwise why should they attack the NPP alone and not other parties. All the attacks are against NPP and especially directed at Conrad Sangma and Prestone Tynsong.”
Referring to promises by coalition partners that they would either scrap or review the border MoU, Tynsong said: “They are showing double standards. At every step, we consulted each and every partner in the Cabinet. These parties who want the MoU scrapped don’t want a solution to this pending issue and they want to go back to status quo.”
He criticised the State BJP for putting up a show on the issue of ILP and stated that the BJP paid no heed to the ILP resolution passed three years ago by the Assembly and now they are saying that they will pursue it if they form the government.
On BJP’s threat to set up a probe against the MDA if voted to power, Tynsong said, “What special task force? Be it CBI, be it ED we are ready for that. Every year we have the CAG report which is laid on the floor of the House where all the members get the copies and not only that even from the state government through the Assembly Secretariat they refer it to Public Accounts Committee.”
