SHILLONG, June 5: A day after suffering a massive setback in the two Lok Sabha seats in Meghalaya, NPP’s Shillong candidate and cabinet minister, Ampareen Lyngdoh admitted that the defeat was a major setback for the party and writing on the wall was clear.
She admitted that the results in Shillong should be taken as a strong warning to the MDA.
She hoped the government will be able to find a mechanism to evaluate the poll debacle.
“I hope we will be able to figure this out and give better governance to the people. This kind of an upset is being seen across India. So, democracy requires a strong opposition,” Lyngdoh said.
She said the outcome of the poll is an indication that the government cannot do whatever it likes.
“This defeat has shown that we need to understand the feelings of the public in everything we do,” she said, adding that a lot of MLAs lost their ground in this election.
She said it should not be a problem for them to face criticism as they are leaders, born to take such beating. She advised the MLAs to go back and figure out the happenings in their respective constituencies.
“Make sure you do your work. If I can motivate my colleagues in the MDA to do that much, then this result will only be a hard lesson learned. I will try to motivate my colleagues in the MDA to do that,” Lyngdoh said.
Asked if the euphoria in the VPP’s favour is going to last, she said it is not for her to comment.
“I refrained from giving my opinion. It is not politically correct to pin people down after they have won,” she said.
According to her, the NPP’s defeat is also an indication that things which the state government did apparently went wrong.
“We have to soul-search and figure this out. We cannot be hostile or angry. I wish that no member of the government takes this in a wrong way,” she said.
Lyngdoh said she would hope the trend does not spill over to the next Assembly elections. She said it is a warning sign for all non-VPP legislators. She congratulated the VPP on winning the Shillong seat.
“I put a lot of efforts but maybe, people do not like me or my party. We have to find out where we are going wrong. Why people are so angry with us,” she said and thanked her supporters as she managed to get more than 1 lakh votes.
NPP candidates trailed in 56 Assembly segments
The NPP, which heads the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), has suffered a jolt in Meghalaya where opposition parties have won both the Lok Sabha constituencies.
The candidates of the party led by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma trailed in 56 of the 60 Assembly segments under the Shillong and Tura Lok Sabha seats.
The NPP polled the highest votes in only two Assembly segments — East Shillong and South Shillong – under the Shillong Parliamentary seat.
The NPP got 6,027 votes in East Shillong represented by Ampareen Lyngdoh, its candidate for the Shillong seat. The number of votes polled by the VPP in East Shillong was 5,141.
The NPP garnered 7,701 votes compared to the VPP’s 5,201 in South Shillong, which BJP legislator Sanbor Shullai represents.
The NPP secured the lowest votes in Mawphlang (1,555) and Mawkynrew (1,651) constituencies. The party trailed even in the Nartiang and Pynursla Assembly constituencies represented by Deputy Chief Ministers Sniawbhalang Dhar and Prestone Tynsong, the latter also the state party president.
The NPP candidate got 10,974 votes compared to the VPP’s 19,346 in Nartiang and 7,375 votes compared to the VPP’s 17,954 in Pynursla.
The NPP trailed in the other seats with an MLA, including Mawkynrew, which former minister Banteidor Lyngdoh represents. These seats are Raliang (Comingone Ymbon), Jowai (Wailadmiki Shylla), Sutnga-Saipung (Santa Mary Shylla), Mawhati (Sosthenes Sohtun), Sohra (Gavin Miguel Mylliem), and Umroi (Damanbait Lamare).
In the Tura Parliamentary seat, NPP candidate Agatha K Sangma led in only two Assembly segments— Ampati and Mahendraganj. Congress candidate Saleng A Sangma led in the remaining 22 constituencies.
The NPP candidate was defeated even in the South Tura and North Tura constituencies represented by the Chief Minister and Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma respectively.
Agatha Sangma got 10,036 votes in South Tura and 9,196 in North Tura, while Saleng Sangma polled 12,245 and 15,405 in these two constituencies.
The NPP candidate secured only 5,587 votes in the Gambegre constituency represented by Saleng, the lowest she garnered among the 24 Assembly constituencies under the Tura Parliamentary seat.
The NPP was defeated in all 18 constituencies with an MLA, including South Tura and North Tura.
Massive setback in Tynsong’s constituency
For Tynsong, it was a personal setback in his home turf of Pynursla constituency in this Lok Sabha polls.
NPP managed to poll more votes, albeit by a small margin, in only five polling stations out of the 75 under the constituency which was dominated by the VPP. The VPP secured a total of 17,954 votes in Pynursla while NPP managed only 7,375.
The five polling stations in which the NPP candidate managed to secure a slim lead votes include Maw-ah, Wahkhen A & B, Mynrieng and Lyndem.
