Politics is about money; nothing more, nothing less. You can’t win elections on goodwill because the reality is that demands from constituents are on the rise. These demands are not flimsy. They represent a laundry list of needs that the middle class take for granted but which to the vulnerable 32% of Meghalaya’s poorest are an existential crisis. To be able to pay school fees, buy school books and uniforms and sometimes meet the uncertain adversities such as crop failure is a big deal for the poor. Just thinking of providing two square meals is in itself a tall task. Even paying hospital bills often means dipping into life’s savings, mortgaging house and land and borrowing from money lenders. This, despite the Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS) which pays partially but not for repeated hospitalisation and medicines and diet of the sick person etc. If the only breadwinner in the family falls ill that is fatal. It means the family sinks into deeper poverty. The fact that the family size in rural Meghalaya is still between 7-9 persons per household also poses its own set of problems.
The above are problems of governance deficits. Instead of addressing that deficit politicians prefer to keep their constituents dependent. So the MLA becomes the saviour by meeting all or part of the expenses of such families just so that he/she does not lose their goodwill. How does an MLA from the Opposition meet such unending demands from the constituents? The MLA has to have a little nest to draw from. The MLA cannot send back a client (voter) only with words of comfort. The person needs cash and cash is what the MLA has to be able to give. This goes for the MDCs too.
It is in this light that we have to see the sudden turnaround in the Khasi Hills District Council where the UDP, Chief Executive Member (CEM)Titos Chyne was suddenly upstaged by the NPP which them appointed their own person, Pyniaid Syiem as the new CEM. In politics, it is wrong to even think of permanency. All political alliances are subject to the vagaries of the political winds. As a stronger partner the NPP will look for allies that are less fastidious than the UDP. The District Council elections are just about 7 months away and the NPP would certainly need funds aplenty to win as many seats as possible. The District Council can be used to generate funds for different schemes/projects under a creative, innovative CEM. And just as funds from schemes are regularly diverted into private pockets or political party coffers, the same modus operandi will be followed to get a majority in the KHADC. The NPP-Congress marriage however, seems to have larger portends in state politics. The reticence of the Congress on the MDA-01 scams tells its own story and is indication enough that something is brewing in the political pot.
