By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 5: Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mukul Sangma has slammed the Congress for contesting from the Tura seat and alleged the party’s state chief Vincent H Pala is the chief architect of an “unholy” nexus among NPP, BJP and Congress.
Talking to The Shillong Times over the phone from Tura on Friday, Sangma said the Congress is playing the role of an NPP agent to cause a split of Opposition votes in the constituency in Garo Hills.
He recalled that the opposition parties had come together under the banner of INDIA bloc to avoid the division of anti-establishment votes. He said the entire concept and strategy of INDIA bloc was derailed in Meghalaya by none other than Pala.
“This is one of the factors which culminated in our decision in 2022 to distance from the party,” Sangma said.
He alleged that the NPP, BJP and Congress started hobnobbing after the Assembly elections of last year and entered into a collective conspiracy to decide the Leader of Opposition.
“They thought of giving the post of Leader of Opposition to someone else to mute the voice of Mukul Sangma but the voice of Mukul Sangma cannot be muted whether or not he is the Leader of Opposition,” the former chief minister said.
Stating that there is a parliamentary tradition and convention pertaining to the appointment of Leader of Opposition, he said these parties entered into the plot to give the post to someone who will be hand in glove with the NPP and will remain a mute spectator to all their wrongdoings. This is detrimental to the interest of the people and the state, he said.
Talking about the parliamentary convention of appointing the Leader of Opposition, Sangma said there is a seven-time MLA and another who won thrice but the convention was not followed. He said the conspiracy was aimed at making the Opposition toe the line of the ruling dispensation.
He said this is not about perks and facilities and he, during his tenure as the Chief Minister, had not occupied the official bungalow. He said these political parties are working on the concept of “you scratch mine and I scratch yours”.
According to Sangma, the NPP and the Congress are entering into a political quid pro quo by kicking the UDP out of the Executive Committee in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council to allow the NPP to lead it.
Meanwhile, Sangma said the TMC’s campaigning in the Tura seat is going on in full swing. He said the party is trying to reach out to people at the grassroots instead of organising massive rallies keeping in mind the uncertainty of weather.
“But we have been able to reach out to people even in the difficult areas,” he added.