SHILLONG, AUG 31: Congress senior leader and cabinet minister Ronnie V Lyngdoh today denied that the two sitting Independent legislators who are supporting the state government have joined the BJP, which he alleged of being “good at deceiving the people”.
Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, Lyngdoh said, “They (sitting MLAs) have not joined yet but on condition that the BJP keeps its promises to lift the ban on coal mining imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).”
Recently, the BJP Meghalaya state was quick in announcing the joining of the two sitting independent legislators – Justine Dkhar and Robinus Syngkon – when they met the BJP national chief Amit Shah at his residence in New Delhi.
However, the BJP’s claim was categorically denied by Dkhar and Syngkon, who are also holding the posts of parliamentary secretaries in the Congress-led MUA-II government, when they maintained that the purpose of meeting Shah was to seek his intervention on coal mining issue.
Referring to a recent assurance made by the BJP spokesman Nalin Kohli, Lyngdoh however said, “He (Kohli) says that if the BJP is elected to power, they will lift the ban on coal mining within 6 months which I think this is only to deceive the people and making false promises, which the BJP is very good at.”
“When ban on coal mining is done by NGT, how can anyone give such promises that within six months the ban will be lifted…it is just for fooling the people for their electoral benefits and we hope people are not fool by this,” he added.
He further stated that the BJP is harping on the coal mining issue as another way to fool the people just to win the elections. He also reminded that the promises made by the BJP before it was elected to power at the Centre to create 2 crore jobs had not been achieved till today when instead there has been a rise in unemployment problems.
Asked, the cabinet minister however said that if the two sitting legislators have joined the BJP then they will attract the provisions of the Tenth Schedule, also popularly known as the Anti-Defection Law.
Meanwhile despite attempts of the BJP to make inroads in Meghalaya, Lyngdoh expressed confidence that the ruling Congress will retain the seat of power in the upcoming crucial assembly elections, slated early next year.
“We have been hearing that (claims by other political parties) but the Congress always come back to power,” he said.
He recalled that before the last elections in 2013, a UDP leader had made such claim that their party would get absolute majority but they end up getting only eight seats in the 60-member House.
Similarly, the Congress leader said the BJP had claimed in the last year’s bye-election to the seven seats of the KHADC and JHADC that they will win but not a single constituency voted for their party.
“Similarly the assembly elections will also be in the same way,” he said while rubbishing the claims that the BJP is gaining strength in Meghalaya.
According to him, people now have reposed their faith and confidence on the Congress party especially with the climax in the country.
“They have realized that it is only the Congress that stands for inclusiveness, for everyone and every citizens of the country irrespective of caste, greed, and faith as we do not discriminate anyone on this basis,” he said.
Reacting to a query, Lyngdoh was hesitate to admit that money power may be a threat for the Congress in the upcoming elections and said that the BJP with all their money power were defeated in the Punjab.
“Also in Manipur and Goa with all resources at their command still the mandate goes to the Congress,” he said.
He however accused the BJP of snatching and betraying the mandate of the people by trampling on the democratic convention and said, “They don’t respect the mandate of the people, they will do anything to get power, which I think is the biggest corruption that you can enact upon the people of the country.”
By Our Reporter
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