By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 25: Opposition’s reaction to the BJP decision to rally behind the NPP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and not field its candidates in both the Shillong and Tura parliamentary seats of Meghalaya, has come as no surprise to the ruling NPP.
The opposition had remarked that the BJP move to support the NPP reaffirms that the two parties are the same.
On this, NPP state president Prestone Tynsong, on Monday, said such aspersions when cast during times of polls whether it is elections to Lok Sabha, Assembly or district councils is not unusual.
Speaking to a section of reporters, Tynsong recalled that before the 2018 Assembly polls, the party was accused of intending to close down all churches if they are voted to power in state.
He satirically asked if the NPP-led MDA government had put any restrictions on worship after coming to power.
Echoing the views of Chief Minister and NPP supremo, Conrad Sangma, Tynsong said the party welcomes the decision of the BJP central leadership.
“It has come as a surprise to us since we did not expect that the BJP would not contest. There aspirants for the (BJP) party tickets in both the seats,” he said.
Coming back to Opposition onslaught, the NPP state president said that by accepting BJP’s support, the NPP will not compromise on its ideology.
“We need to understand that neither the party who decides to support or who accepts the support will try to change the constitution of any of the parties,” Tynsong added.
THE CORRUPTION BARB
Opposition charge of corruption against the NPP has not gone down really well with the latter. “The allegation made by the opposition parties will not stand unless they can substantiate it with evidence,” said NPP East Khasi Hills working president, Pyniaid Sing Syiem, at a meeting in Umsning to formally receive hundreds of Congress leaders who joined the ruling party on Monday.
On the issue of job reservation policy raised by the VPP, Syiem, who is also the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of KHADC, “I would urge the people not to be misled.”
After UDP, the Congress has now suffered a sight setback in Ri-Bhoi ahead of the Lok Sabha polls with many of its leaders joining the NPP.
Besides the Congress leaders, there are leaders of the UDP and VPP from Umsning constituency too, who have joined the NPP to the support its party candidate from Shillong, Ampareen Lyngdoh, who is also a Cabinet Minister. The leaders of different political parties were formally welcomed into the NPP-fold by its leaders including party spokesperson HM Shangpliang and sitting NPP MDC from Umsning, Macdalene S Mawlong.
‘CONGRESS LOSING GROUND’
Meanwhile at a public rally in Nongkseh, NPP state working president Wailadmiki Shylla observed that the Congress is slowly losing ground, claiming that it is impossible for the grand-old party to dislodge the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre.
Shylla cast aspersions on the Congress’s purported non-acceptance to change.
“The Congress leadership is not ready to bring a change and wants to continue with its old system. We need change if we want to grow,” Shylla said.
He said that there was an agreement on seat sharing among the different parties who are part of the Opposition INDIA bloc “but in Meghalaya we are seeing the Congress in both the seats and the TMC is contesting from Tura only.”
He added: “This is a reflection of division within the opposition alliance.”
Hundred of Congress members in Mylliem constituency joined the NPP on Monday. The Congress members joined the party in the presence of several of top NPP leaders including NPP working president Hamleston Dohling and party MLA from Mawkynrew, Banteidor Lyngdoh among others.