CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Minister and NPP National President Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday countered the Congress’ charge head-on, asserting that the Opposition party is grappling with deep internal discord. He declared, “Congress is completely divided within. You have differences; they may be sitting at the same table and talking, but internally they have their own plans separately. We are in quite good touch with many of them, to be very frank,” as he rejected MPCC chief Vincent H Pala’s allegation that the One North East initiative is a covert saffron-backed effort to split anti-BJP votes.
Reacting to Pala’s claim that the emerging platform — reportedly involving the NPP, TIPRA Motha and others — is an “RSS–BJP plan,” Sangma said, “To be very, very blunt, nobody needs to work to divide them; they’re already divided,” while stressing that the NPP’s vision is anchored in unity, not confrontation.
Earlier, Pala had alleged that the One North East formation is being constructed as a diversionary political vessel to prevent tribal voters — traditionally sceptical of the BJP — from consolidating behind the Congress or any Opposition bloc. Positioning the development within what he described as the BJP’s broader regional strategy, Pala argued that the proposed “basket” is intended to attract dissatisfied voters into a platform that would later align with the saffron party — a move he termed deceptive and detrimental to the democratic mandate of the Northeast.
Sangma, however, termed the remarks “quite unfortunate,” adding, “That is their personal view and opinion. For us as a party, we are very clear. We have said it very openly that we are not here to fight against anybody. Neither are we here to oppose anybody. We are here from a positive perspective to unify and send a message of unity for the region as a whole.”
Reiterating that the NPP’s approach centres on strengthening regional political leverage through collective effort, Sangma said the Northeast’s voice becomes effective only when united. “We have always stressed that we believe the Northeast states and communities must work together in the larger interest of the region. When we are united and present a united front, that’s the only way we can ensure that we are able to carry our message across and always serve people in a much, much better manner,” he said.
Emphasizing that the One North East platform is driven by a developmental rather than adversarial agenda, he added, “We’re not here to be negative or to break anybody or to fight against anybody. We are only here to serve the people of our communities, the states and the region.”
Responding to a question on the lukewarm response from some regional parties in Meghalaya, Sangma maintained that political realignments take time. “It doesn’t mean that everybody will come on board in one go. It’s a long journey. But we know that our intention is very clear and very focused, and we want to serve the people,” he said. Noting that movements often expand gradually, he added, “Some have joined us. As they see the progress and the kind of focus we work with, we are hopeful that more and more leaders and people in the parties will join us. It may take time, but we are okay with it. We’re not discouraged at all.”
The Northeast’s political corridors had been rife with speculation for weeks — was it a new regional front or an entirely new political entity? The picture became clearer only after leaders from eight northeastern states met quietly at New Delhi’s Constitution Club in early November. The meeting confirmed the formation under a collaborative banner: One North East. The founding signatories include Conrad K Sangma, Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma of TIPRA Motha, Mmhonlumo Kikon from Nagaland, and Daniel Langthasa of the People’s Party Assam. A committee has been set up to work out the modalities and structure of the proposed political entity, with a 45-day deadline to submit its report — marking a significant and evolving shift in the region’s political landscape.
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