VPP fumes over criticism at Mawlai common campaign

SHILLONG, Feb 7: A barrage of criticism hurled at the VPP during the campaign at the common platform event in Mawlai on Thursday, has evoked sharp response from the party.
Reaffirming its commitment to calling a spade a spade, the VPP on Friday said that criticising the party over its decision to not participate in the common platform is “unfortunate”, adding that their perspective and position should have been considered before passing judgment.
The party is currently at odds with some traditional institutions that have denied permission for election campaigns ahead of the upcoming polls. In response, the VPP has filed complaints against a few traditional leaders and institutions, a move that has drawn criticism.
When asked whether the ongoing friction with traditional bodies could impact the party’s prospects in the KHADC and JHADC elections, VPP spokesperson Batskhem Myrboh said, “For us, what is right is right, and what is wrong is wrong.”
Myrboh recalled how, in 2021, teachers were denied their political rights by the MDA government — a decision the VPP strongly opposed and subsequently challenged in court.
“The VPP was founded to call a spade a spade. When we, as teachers, were deprived of our right to participate in politics by the MDA government in 2021 — even though it was a decision made at the state level, which holds more authority than traditional bodies — we opposed it and took the matter to court. There are numerous instances where not just the VPP but even traditional bodies have taken legal action against one another,” he added, referring to the criticism over the party’s complaint to the District Council Affairs (DCA) department.
Responding to the criticism, Myrboh clarified, “The MTD stated that candidates had to choose between a common platform and a public meeting — it was one or the other. When we chose a public meeting, it meant we were excluded from the common platform. We had already submitted a letter to the MTD, as required, confirming our choice of a public meeting.”
Moreover, he pointed out that claims of the VPP’s Mawlai candidate agreeing to participate in the common platform, as reported by various media outlets, are factually incorrect and misleading.
It may be recalled that the MTD, on Thursday, organised a common platform event, which was attended by all candidates except the VPP, inviting backlash for opting out of a common programme for campaigning — the idea conceived particularly to serve the interests of the student community in view of the upcoming board exams.