UDP betrayed alliance: Ardent

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG, March 7: Former Nongkrem legislator, Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit, today insisted that United Democratic Party (UDP) chief Dr Donkupar Roy should make public why he did not want tiol People’s Party (NPP) leader Prestone Tynsong to become the Chief Minister of Meghalaya even as he said that the UDP has betrayed the alliance.

Posing a question to Dr Roy, Basaiawmoit asked, “I have a serious question to ask Dr Donkupar Roy. Why did he oppose Prestone Tynsong to become the Chief Minister?”

Basaiawmoit also said that this was an opportune time to have a Khasi Chief Minister. “This was the moment to serve the people of the state,” he said.

It may be mentioned that the UDP had agreed to extend support to the NPP only if Conrad takes the Chief Minister’s post.

On the question of the UDP betraying the Regiol Democratic Alliance (RDA), where apart from the UDP-HSPDP, the Garo tiol Council is also an ally, Basaiawmoit said that the party had already betrayed the HSPDP when it proposed Conrad’s me as the Chief Minister of Meghalaya while rejecting Tynsong’s me.

“They did not consult us. As allies they should have called a meeting of the coordition committee of the RDA to discuss the issue. It is an insult to the HSPDP and the GNC,” he said.

Basaiawmoit while clarifying on the statement of Dr Roy that the former Nongkrem MLA did not oppose the inclusion of the BJP in the government, informed that since day-one he had made his stand clear that he was for a non-Congress, non-BJP alliance.

Basaiawmoit also said that when he agreed that the HSPDP will be part of the RDA he had made it clear that the BJP should not be part of it. On the two HSPDP, legislators claiming that Basaiawmoit had told them to stick with the RDA, he admitted that it was fact.

“But I did not give any green sigl to work with the BJP. As elected representatives they should have known to stand of the party not to be part of the BJP,” Basaiawmoit said.

He also said that as party chief then he had asked the two legislators – Samlin Malgniang and Renikton L Tongkhar not to accompany the others to the Governor’s House to stake claim to form the government.   According to him, he was defeated in this election because he took care and ensure the victory of his candidates. “Now that they have won they don’t listen to me. It is upto them but it is an act of indiscipline,” he added. Basaiawmoit also hinted that he may not take part in electoral political anymore if the current trend of using money to buy votes during election continues. “We fought this election without distributing money or giving liquor but the people gave us only two seats,” he added. The former Nongkrem legislator said that his politics was based on ethics and principles.  It may be mentioned that Basaiawmoit had on Tuesday resigned as president of the HSPDP.