SHILLONG, Nov 16: NPP state president and Rajya Sabha MP, WR Kharlukhi today asserted that the trend of Congress MLAs jumping over to other political parties would repeat in Meghalaya just before the 2023 Assembly elections.
“I will prove them (Congress) wrong and the same story which happened in the state before 2018 Assembly polls would repeat before 2023 polls in the state,” Kharlukhi said a day after Congress MLA Charles Pyngrope questioned the NPP’s credibility.
When asked to elaborate his statement, he said that jumping of MLAs from Congress would happen and the reason is same as to what was the reason for many Congress MLAs to shift over to other political parties.
It may be mentioned that just before the 2018 Assembly polls, eight MLAs including five of the Congress had resigned from the State Assembly to join NDA constituent National People’s Party (NPP).
The statement of the NPP state chief has come soon after Congress leaders had claimed that there is a rift in the MDA whereas sources from the MDA Government had also claimed that many of the Congress MLAs may leave the party before the 2023 elections.
The leaders who had left the grand old party just before the 2018 polls included Prestone Tynsong, Sniawbhalang Dhar, Rowell Lyngdoh and even AL Hek had deserted the party to join BJP.
Reacting to the jibe of the Congress which has questioned NPP’s political credibility, he said that the party’s credibility will be questioned by the electorates of the state and not by the Congress.
“The electorates will give us their certificate in 2023 polls,” he said while adding that the Opposition Congress will always criticise the ruling for everything.
When asked about the intensified attack of Congress on the NPP-led MDA government, he said that there is some fear among the Congress and they have realized that it would be difficult for them to win the 2023 polls and hence they are attacking the government on each and every issue.
