By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 15: All political parties, except National People’s Party (NPP), felt the result of the by-election to the Gambegre Assembly constituency could go to any party.
Cabinet Minister and NPP working president, Marcuise N Marak on Friday said confidently that the “good response” the party received will see it through.
“In the beginning, we thought it would be a close contest but now, I don’t think it will be that close. You must have heard of many seizures. Our candidate (Mehtab Chandee A Sangma) will sail through easily,” Marak said.
Rubbishing the allegation of misusing state machineries, he said the NPP took the issue of development to people and they responded well.
The Trinamool Congress is optimistic about wresting the seat by riding the popularity of its candidate Sadhiarani M Sangma along with aligned factors.
“We would like the outcome to be in our favour but it all depends on the last day when the counting takes place. It was a well-contested election,” said TMC chief and Nongthymmai legislator Charles Pyngrope.
Talking about the chances of the TMC candidate, he said, “I don’t wish to comment on the candidate of any other political party, but she (TMC candidate) is a sitting MDC and well-liked person.”
The Congress too felt it was a tight contest. Lone Congress MLA Ronnie V Lyngdoh said although the party’s Jingjang Marak put up a good fight, the NPP candidate has an edge over others for being from the ruling side.
Reiterating the statement made by Tura MP Saleng A Sangma that it was a close fight and whoever wins will win by a small margin, Lyngdoh said, “The NPP candidate happens to be the wife of the Chief Minister and they have got the government machinery. Being in the ruling side, they have a slight edge.”
Meanwhile, the BJP claimed voters were lured with money.
“Unlike us, the other parties have their base in Gambegre, yet we feel we did well. Those who anticipate development and those who are victimised and deprived of basic needs voted for the BJP. There is no doubt about it,” BJP vice president and Gambegre candidate, Bernard N Marak, said.
He said videos of other party leaders and individuals distributing money or trying to distribute money to lure voters went viral. The BJP was not involved in distributing money and instead focussed on clean votes, he added.
However, the NPP rubbished the allegations of use of money power and misuse of the state machineries to its advantage in Gambegre.
“This is natural in politics; when somebody is going to lose the elections they always come up with accusations. Whether its money play or the state machinery, nobody can force anybody to vote as it is a secret ballot and the choice of the people,” Cabinet minister Rakkam A Sangma said.
Rubbishing accusations of the party indulging in money power, he said, “If there were such things we have the Election Commission to monitor all this.
“Do they have any evidence? Without any evidence it is baseless. There not even a single case where NPP money was seized,” he commented on Congress and BJP’s allegations that NPP had used money to lure voters.