By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 21: As the day of counting for the Gambegre Assembly seat inches closer, the State BJP on Thursday said the poll ambience indicates that it stands a chance to snatch a win.
“I campaigned in Gambegre and in all the public meetings that were held, the people were very eager and enthusiastic to listen to us and so, I feel the BJP stands a chance to win this election,” said Cabinet Minister and senior BJP legislator, AL Hek.
The BJP fielded Tura MDC and its state unit vice president, Bernard N Marak for the Gambegre seat.
Post-poll, Marak claimed that 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,” Marak said.
He said videos of other party leaders and individuals distributing money or trying to distribute money to lure voters went viral. He added that the BJP was not involved in distributing money and instead, focussed on clean votes.
The NPP rubbished the allegations of the use of money power and misuse of the state machinery to its advantage in Gambegre.
Meanwhile, the BJP has adopted a cautious approach to contesting the KHADC and JHADC polls. Insiders said the party is focusing on the issues of each constituency and winnable candidates instead of dishing out tickets randomly.
Top party leaders have held a round of discussion on contesting the ADC polls in the state. Two aspirants have expressed their willingness to contest. “It’s not the first time. We have MDCs in the Garo Hills districts. We contested in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills earlier. All senior members have discussed and decided to contest the MDC elections,” Hek said.
“So far, we have received two applications from the Ri-Bhoi district. We have not decided to call for applications but we have decided to contest and whoever is willing can come and contest on the party ticket,” he said.
When asked why the party is not seeking applications, Hek said: “Contesting an election should not be just for the sake of it. The potential of a candidate, the seat, winnability and many other factors must be considered.”
He said the meeting on Wednesday was the beginning of the preparedness for the MDC polls.
Hek claimed the BJP’s pro-people policies at the central level resonated with the people at the grassroots, leading to a stronger public acceptance of the party.
He highlighted several centrally sponsored schemes, such as the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awas Yojana, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, National Rural Livelihood Mission, and the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, which have been implemented in Meghalaya to benefit the public.
Acknowledging the challenges, Hek noted that winning elections in Meghalaya is not only about the party but also about having strong candidates. He hoped the BJP would find capable contenders. “When we have our official candidates, we will campaign fully and appeal to the people to vote for us,” he said.