By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 12: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) is setting its sights on forming the government in Meghalaya in 2028.
“It will be difficult for me to focus solely on Nongkrem constituency, as I need to travel across the state to ensure that we come to power in 2028,” said VPP president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit.
He made the statement during a meeting held at Nongkrem on Monday to distribute funds under the MLA scheme for the year 2024–25.
Basaiawmoit acknowledged that his constituents might be upset about his reduced presence but emphasized that his political mission goes beyond a single constituency.
“I want to clarify that I did not join mainstream politics just to work for one constituency. I entered politics to serve my community and the state as a whole,” he said.
He stressed that contesting elections solely to focus on one constituency is not his objective. “There’s no point in doing good work only for my constituency if the rest of the state is suffering. Eventually, everything will collapse,” he warned.
Reflecting on the progress of the VPP, Basaiawmoit noted that despite being a relatively new party, it has achieved significant milestones in its three-and-a-half-year journey.
He highlighted that the party now leads the Executive Committee in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and holds the position of Leader of Opposition in the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC), with eight MDCs in the council.
However, he acknowledged that much work remains, especially in strengthening the party’s foundation to realize its ambition of leading the state government in 2028.
It is worth noting that Basaiawmoit, who represents the Nongkrem constituency, has divided the Rs 2.5 crore sanctioned under the Special Rural Work Programme (SRWP) for 2024–25 into two segments for beneficiary selection.
The financial assistance provided to the beneficiaries included support for the construction of 80 low-cost houses, repairs and extensions of existing homes, as well as aid for schools, colleges, farmers, and individuals to help them establish their businesses.