The Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA) of two parties the United Democratic Party (UDP) and the Hill State Peoples’ Democratic Party (HSPDP) is an old ploy aimed at deceiving the voters before every election. The fact that the Voice of Peoples’ Party (VPP) – another regional party is out of the fold is indication enough that the two-party coalition has nor locus to call itself an alliance of regional forces. Regional parties have this one fatal flaw – they can’t spell unity. The HSPDP is a spent force and hardly able to make a dent in state politics. It was reduced to 2 MLAs in a house of 60 seats while the UDP got 11 seats. If the UDP thinks it can swing the votes in favour of the RDA alliance it has another thing coming. Contestants from Shillong Parliamentary seat include Congress veteran and sitting MP, Vincent Pala although the Party is yet to formally declare him as their candidate officially; the National Peoples’ Party (NPP) has set up Ampareen Lyngdoh, an old war horse as its candidate. Both are well versed not just in passionate public appeals but also what is really needed to win votes and hearts.
The VPP will be setting up Dr Ricky Syngkon, an academician. He too is a strong contender also because the VPP is the flavour of the season. Only the BJP is yet to declare its candidate. But in Meghalaya the BJP stands a poor chance of winning the Shillong seat since the Party has not been able to make inroads in rural Meghalaya. Ironically, it is Meghalaya’s case that before every election, the parties that are part of the coalition government instead of coming together and setting up a common candidate, all come apart and assert their political egos. They enter the fray as rivals of each other and throw dust on peoples’ eyes. Post election they are back to business as usual. How long can this deception carry on and for how long will the voters be fooled?
While it is true that Robert Kharjahrin, a lawyer by profession and a pressure group leader has what it takes to represent the people of Meghalaya in Parliament the fact is he has to feel his way around in politics and then in the Delhi durbar. So too the VPP candidate. It takes a lot to build coalitions in Delhi. If the NPP wins the Shillong seat, then it immediately becomes part of the BJP-led NDA coalition. Such may not be the case with the RDA and VPP candidates. They will be in the Opposition and they will have to build bridges with other Opposition parties to make their voices heard. That’s how politics works.
