Correspondent
SHILLONG: Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) President Vincent H Pala emphasized the importance of securing a clear mandate in the upcoming MDC elections to enable effective policymaking. Confident in the Congress party’s prospects, Pala highlighted its strong connection with the people of Meghalaya, stating, “Today I can proudly say Congress is the only party people are looking for in the coming MDC election. People of Meghalaya are always with the Congress—it is the Congress who runs away from the people. I can proudly say that. This time, I must appreciate the hard work of the Congress workers at the grassroots level and in the blocks. We have clean-background candidates, and we hope for a clear mandate. As long as we get a fractional mandate, policy decisions get paralyzed halfway.”
On the candidate selection process, Pala explained, “Candidates are picked and chosen by the blocks. To say who is the strongest contender at this point is difficult; every party will try their best. The NPP, being in power, will try to use illegal money, which they get from coal and so many other sources. However, voters in most areas don’t favour the NPP—the reasons are best known to them. The UDP is fielding MLAs, and we do not underestimate them. The VPP showed some presence in the MP elections, but MDC elections will be different. With a minimum of 200 candidates in the fray, it will be a different story. Every party will be strong this time, as with 29 or 30 seats, the division among parties won’t be easy. In some areas, we are fighting against the NPP, in others the UDP or VPP, but in most places, they are fighting against the Congress. I think it will be a multi-cornered contest this time.”
Addressing the Congress’s involvement in the District Council, Pala clarified, “As far as the council is concerned, Congress stepped in only after the failure of the UDP. When the NPP approached us to save the EC in the District Council from administrative rule, we acted as a responsible party. We were not joining any political party; we were helping to ensure that the amendment to the Sixth Schedule didn’t fall into the hands of the BJP. Whatever the NPP decides is dictated by the BJP. We knew the consequences and understood that this was about saving the people, not about elections. The amendment is very important—its clauses, as influenced by the BJP and NPP, are detrimental to our society. After completing our recommendations and finalizing discussions with the Home Ministry, we had no further business in the council, so we pulled back. We made it clear from the beginning that our involvement was only until the amendment to the Sixth Schedule was completed.”
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