Four regional political parties unite to rally against Congress

Staff Correspondent

Shillong: The four regional political parties, including independent legislators under the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), were on the same page on Tuesday to display their resolve to defeat the Congress in the Shillong Parliamentary seat.

A rally attended by around 5,000 was held in Shillong on Tuesday and the four parties, including independent MLAs and MDCs, were visible in the dais. The common tenor of those who spoke during the election rally to elicit votes for the MDA candidate is that they have been fighting against each other in the last State Assembly and district council elections but now they are united to take on the ‘exploitative and negative approach of the Congress party’.

The MDA comprises of the NPP, UDP, PDF, HSPDP and a couple of Independent candidates. National president of the Nationalist People’s Party (NPP) and State Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma who landed in Shillong in a helicopter addressed the gathering for about 20-odd minutes. He referred to the MDA government of being a united front that wanted to consolidate the regional parties by having a common candidate in Jemino Mawthoh. “We have fought against each other in electoral politics yet we are sitting together. We are united and this should be a message to those who count us out”, stated Conrad in his campaign speech.

While asking voters to vote for Mawthoh, Conrad also took indirect jibes against the Congress and the BJP. “National parties tend to impose their decision from New Delhi and this cannot be accepted”, stated Sangma adding, “Our endeavour in the recent episode on issues related to the CAB and others has surly reflected on how we can stand together against such diktat”.

The Chief Minister also spoke about the redundancy of the slogan like “Look East” and “Act East”, stating that such policies have not reaped the potential that the northeastern States have.

The common candidate for the Shillong seat Jemino Mawthoh in course of his speech said that the farsightedness of the leaders of the regional parties to stand united makes him more optimistic. “We were fighting against each other but the spirit of unity to take on a common foe brought each one of use together”, Mawthoh stated.

Using the platform to counter the Congress sitting MP for his statement that the regional parties with one or two candidates will not have any say at the Centre, Mawthoh said,“ The Congress MP is misleading the people. What have he spoken on the coal mining issue as an experienced MP in the past ten years”, quipped Jemino who is banking hard on the Opposition unity to defeat the two time MP from Shillong.

The HSPDP president and PDF president also spoke on similar tunes lashing out at the Congress and portraying the unity of the regional parties in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

Also read: Meghalaya news