By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 4: The National People’s Party (NPP) will not forge a pre-poll alliance with any party in the upcoming Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections.
Senior NPP leader Rakkam A Sangma, who is also a Cabinet Minister, ruled out any possibility of a pre-poll alliance, making it clear that the party intends to contest independently and it will work hard to achieve a clear mandate.
Addressing media persons on Friday, Rakkam underscored the dynamic nature of electoral politics but said the NPP is not taking anything for granted.
He maintained that the NPP is fully engaged in its preparations and determined to counter any challenge from the opposition parties.
As part of its campaign strategy, the NPP plans to highlight the development works, carried out in sectors such as health, education, sports, agriculture and road communication under the leadership of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.
Rakkam said the overall performance speaks for itself but much more needs to be done. He cited the building of better roads, educational infrastructure, playgrounds and upgraded colleges, and urged the public to objectively assess the government’s performance.
Rakkam claimed that over a hundred people expressed interest to contest the polls on the NPP’s tickets. He said this is an indication of the party’s strength and popularity.
He dismissed the perception that the NPP will suffer a setback in the polls. He viewed such assumption as the underestimation of the party’s groundwork and voter engagement.
Asked if the GHADC elections could be seen as a prelude to the 2028 Assembly polls, Rakkam said electoral outcomes often vary from one contest to another.
He cited the results of last Lok Sabha elections. He said the Congress had won the Tura seat with a significant margin but lost the by-elections to the Gambegre Assembly seat just weeks later.
He suggested that such fluctuations reflect the unpredictability of voter sentiment, but added that a win in the GHADC polls would signal the momentum for the party heading into future contests.