SHILLONG, March 1: The phenomenal electoral success of the state’s nascent political party, the VPP, has delivered a stunning blow to Meghalaya’s established political parties, including the UDP.
The VPP’s resounding success has ruffled the feathers of traditional heavyweights, particularly in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region, where the new party’s burgeoning mass appeal has come to stay. The UDP, which has long prided itself as the foremost Khasi party, finds itself on the defensive, with leaders like Paul Lyngdoh stoutly dismissing claims that its alliance with the National People’s Party (NPP) — derided as a “Garo party” — has led to its electoral debacle.
Meanwhile, the TMC, which chose to sit out the KHADC elections, is struggling to maintain relevance, with its state leadership under pressure and grassroots supporters defecting to other parties.
The VPP swept the KHADC election winning 17 out of 29 seats in the Council. The voting was held on February 21, while the results were declared on February 24.
Whether this election is going to mark as a lasting transformation of political landscape or another passing phase remains to be seen. For now, the rivals will keep a hawk eye on VPP’s performance and ability to walk the talk.
UDP not suffering for ties with NPP: Paul
UDP’s Paul Lyngdoh, who is also a Cabinet minister, has said it is illogical to say that the UDP is underperforming because of its alliance with the NPP heading the MDA 2.0 government.
He countered the narrative that the association with the NPP, perceived to be a ‘Garo party’, has lessened the appeal of the UDP in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region of the state.
“If you recall, during MDA 1, the UDP had six MLAs when it tied up with the NPP. When we went back to the polls, that figure doubled to 12. So, when our numbers have jumped despite our association with the NPP, it beats all logic to say we are underperforming because of this alliance,” he said on Saturday.
Lyngdoh also commented on the rise of the VPP, which some see as a fresh alternative.
“People perceive the VPP as a new broom that hopefully will sweep better, but if you compare the ADC elections with the MP elections, you’ll find that the VPP led in 34 out of 36 Assembly segments of the Shillong Lok Sabha seat covering the Khasi-Jaintia region. Today, after a year, the UDP has returned with five MDCs in the KHADC and three in the JHADC — eight MDCs in total,” he said.
Citing his constituency, Lyngdoh highlighted the shifting political landscape. “In the last elections, we came third, managing just a thousand votes. In the West Shillong constituency segment, the VPP’s margin over the UDP, which came second, was just 600-plus votes in the ADC polls,” he said. “Whether you call that a downslide or an upswing is entirely up to you, but these are the figures,” Lyngdoh said, defending the UDP’s position.
‘We still exist’: TMC
TMC state president, Charles Pyngrope has dismissed claims that his party is a spent force in Meghalaya, asserting that the TMC remains a relevant player in the state’s political landscape.
“At the moment, we still exist, and I don’t think the party is a spent force. It all depends on how the situation unfolds in the future. Perhaps we will take a call then, but for now, we remain relevant in the state,” Pyngrope stated.
He was firm in his belief that the TMC should not be written off. “You cannot write off the TMC,” he added.
Pyngrope’s statement signals the party’s intent to remain in the fray and adapt to Meghalaya’s evolving political scenario.
However, the party did not contest the recently concluded ADC polls, and Pyngrope has reportedly been under pressure from party members to join the Congress.
Sources indicate that communication between the party’s higher-ups, as well as among state leaders, is infrequent and mostly limited to chance meetings.
Additionally, a significant number of TMC supporters at the grassroots level have already merged with the Congress and other parties.
