Association with NPP-led MDA govt cost us: Party on recent Lok Sabha poll debacle
SHILLONG, June 27: The disastrous performance of the United Democratic Party in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha election in Meghalaya has begun to create a ripple effect in the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance led by the National People’s Party with cracks now visible in the coalition.
UDP leaders, disgruntled by the party’s debacle in the Shillong Parliamentary seat where it managed a poor fourth finish, have now begun to quietly but surely speak about severing ties with the NPP and the MDA.
The UDP leaders attributed the party’s poor performance to their association with the NPP-led MDA Government.
They accepted this during a meeting of the party leadership on Tuesday to analyse the factors that led to the failure of the UDP to win the Shillong Parliamentary seat despite having MLAs in 12 of the 36 segments under the constituency.
Party insiders said the leaders felt several negative developments against the incumbent government in the past year led to the anger of the people, which benefitted the Voice of the People Party, a new political entity.
They also said there were suggestions from a few leaders to withdraw the party’s support to the government.
The UDP candidates polled nearly 3 lakh votes in the 2023 Assembly polls but the Regional Democratic Alliance’s common candidate, Robertjune Kharjahrin could manage only 44,563 votes in the Lok Sabha election.
The UDP and HSPDP are constituents of the RDA.
UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh said some leaders felt that the party paid for its alliance with NPP.
“The defeat of our party cannot be attributed to a single factor. Several others contributed to the poor electoral show of the party,” he said.
He admitted that the support of the BJP to the NPP in the Lok Sabha polls affected all the constituents of the MDA coalition.
Mawthoh said the decision of the BJP to support the NPP confirmed the bonding between the two parties.
“It also proved that the UDP has no association with the BJP. But still, our political opponents managed to link all MDA constituents with the BJP a big issue during the election campaign,” he said.
He also said many “unpleasant events from time to time” in the state angered the people who reacted by venting their anger on the ruling coalition through the EVM.
He said the parties opposed to the UDP sold the narrative that it is part of the government and is hand-in-glove with the NPP and BJP.
Mawthoh said his party does not blow its own trumpet despite doing many good things. “From now onwards, the UDP will not miss an opportunity to inform the people about the things it has done,” he added.
He insisted that it is not always that the UDP that keeps quiet whenever the government errs. He UDP gives constructive suggestions to build society and develop the state, he claimed.