SHILLONG: The Congress on Friday said the BJP has put up its candidate for the Shillong Lok Sabha seat only to mislead the people into believing the party has nothing to do with the National People’s Party (NPP) or the United Democratic Party (UDP), both allies in the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) along with the saffron party, among others.
Major players in the Shillong Lok Sabha seat are MDA common candidate and UDP general secretary, Jemino Mawthoh, Congress candidate Vincent Pala and BJP MLA Sanbor Shullai.
The Congress has been picking on both the parties for their bonhomie with the BJP, which had recently drawn flak in the state and across the North East for pushing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
Mylliem MDC and Congress leader Ronnie Lyngdoh said the BJP is attempting to mislead the electorate to show that the UDP and NPP are not working with it.
“The BJP fielding a candidate is to beguile the public that the UDP, NPP and BJP are not working together. But the NPP is in the NDA, the people cannot be fooled again,” he said.
He also said the “unity” among the allies was only superficial.
“They are coming together only on the surface, and only for public consumption. But believe me, the other constituents of the MDA are not working for the common candidate,” he said when asked whether a united MDA was a threat to the Congress’s chances.
To a question whether there would be a split in the vote share of the Congress with BJP in the fray, Lyngdoh said, “The non-tribal population who are with the Congress will vote for the party irrespective of the BJP putting up a candidate.”
However, KHADC CEM and UDP MDC Teinwell Dkhar said all allies of the MDA stood united and that all UDP MDCs are on the same page when it comes to extending support to Jemino Mawthoh.
Dkhar said, “Just as our MLAs are part of MDA, we are also giving our support to him.”
He said there are coordination committees in East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hills and Shillong city which are making preparations for campaigning for the party.
Asked whether the party is facing any threat from the Congress, which has won the Shillong seat twice, he banked on the unity factor of the allies in the MDA.
“I do not see such a threat since we are united. We are hopeful of a positive response from the people,” he said.
