By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 1: Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Vincent H Pala on Friday said Congress is capable of repeating the MP election “magic” for the Gambegre bypoll if party leaders and workers go the extra mile.
Amid the NPP’s claim that its candidate, Mehtab Chandee A Sangma will win the Gambegre seat by a record margin, Pala said a ruling party always boasts but Congress is capable of retaining Gambegre after the big Tura Lok Sabha seat win.
Congress’s Saleng A Sangma garnered 383,919 votes to wrest the “carefully guarded” Tura seat in the Garo Hills from Agatha K Sangma. The latter polled 228,678 votes.
Despite 18 MLAs from the Garo Hills, the NPP could not save the late Purno A Sangma’s bastion, which his family held since 1977.
Pala, however, said winning an election is easier said than done and the party has to work that much harder to retain Gambegre.
“I will visit Gambegre on Monday. The feedback I have is that the contest will be triangular among the Congress, TMC (Trinamool Congress), and NPP candidates,” he said, effectively ruling out the BJP and its candidate, Bernard N Marak from the race.
The BJP also refuted the NPP’s claim, asserting that the deprivation of the poor villagers will cost the Conrad K Sangma-led party dear.
“The sentiments of the people prevented from availing schemes are hurt. Many poor people have been denied job cards and BPL cards while students have been deprived of scholarships. Poor villagers are struggling to survive and their children are being asked to show the income of their parents as not less than Rs 2 lakh,” Marak, also the state BJP vice president, said.
Stating that they are visiting villages as part of the campaign, he said: “The people are upset with the main ruling party.” He also said the ruling party gave many families two bundles of CGI sheets each and other cash incentives on condition that they vote for the NPP.
“They are taking advantage of central schemes for the poor but many villagers are without water, most do not have pucca houses, and people are slapped with bills even though they have no electricity,” he added.
He said the BJP is “very much in the race” although the late announcement of the candidate delayed the party’s campaign, unlike the other parties.
He also said the party has decided to let local leaders, including MLAs, head the campaign apart from Anil Antony, the BJP’s national secretary in charge of Meghalaya.
Marak on Friday released the party’s bypoll booklet promising a slew of developments and initiatives for the constituency.
As per the booklet, Bernard assured to look into the setting up of a second Secretariat or Capital in Garo Hills, to increase job card days from 100 to 150 as well an enhanced wage of Rs 300 per day, to work for the inclusion of Garo language in the Eighth Schedule and to work towards providing 5 lakhs government jobs to the youths.
With regard to healthcare, Bernard assured to look into the construction of a trauma centre along NH-51 under Gambegre. He also promised to provide five ambulances to cater to the needs of people from various areas as well as to provide the Bharat Ayushman Card to each villager.
Other promises made by included a wider distribution of central scheme benefits with respect to ration cards, houses, drinking water, electricity, pensions, loans and other livelihoods, to look into the issues face by farmers, youths, students etc.