TURA, MAY 3: The battle for Tura Lok Sabha bye-poll has become very interesting with the Congress blaming the BJP left, right and centre for its alleged policies on religious intolerance.
In East Garo hills, Congress candidate Dikkanchi D. Shira on Tuesday had a field day as social welfare minister Deborah Marak accompanied her to remote places like Mangsang, Rongjeng and Songsak.
Deborah, who had the mandate to drum up support for Congress candidate in East Garo Hills, however, spoke a different tune by making the electorates understand the electioneering process and the greatness of democracy.
In all the rallies, Deborah spoke at length on the power of democracy to the electorates and urged them to come out to exercise their franchise on May 16.
Seeking mandate for the Congress candidate, Deborah asked the voters not to get induced by money or muscle power.
“Take a conscious decision while you vote, so that you don’t have to regret”, said the social welfare minister, who is the state e president of the party and the lone women minister from Garo hills in the state cabinet.
Speaking at length on Captain William Sangma and Congress party’s contribution for the growth and development of the state, she said, “Congress is the only option for the people of Meghalaya”.
Unlike the Congress candidate, who is trailing all her guns on BJP, Deborah made an effort to woo voters by giving insight on state government’s achievement.
Speaking on the demand of upgradation of Rongjeng block to sub-division, she said, “People of Rongjeng should be grateful that the government has upgraded the block to an administrative unit”.
She urged the people to be accommodative with their demands and assured development will slowly take place. In the last assembly session held on March, the government had announced upgradation of Ronjeng block to an administrative unit.
Rongjeng is one of the backward areas of the state, whose economy revolves around coal business. However, neither Deborah nor the Congress candidate touched on the issue of National Green Tribunal (NGT) ban on coal in the state.
Continuing her tirade against BJP, Congress candidate Dikkanchi today labeled National People’s Party (NPP) as synonym to BJP. She said that the Hindi translation of the party (NPP) would be Bharatiya Janata Party.
“Meghalaya is a Christian dominated state, so BJP did not field a candidate”, she said while trying to explain that if NPP candidate wins, he will vow himself to the BJP.
Highlighting the glorious era of Purno Agitok Sangma and his contribution, while in Congress, Dikkanchi asked, “What has P A Sangma done after he left Congress?”
She said that God had been kind to him (late P A Sangma) as he stood for the Christians but today NPP is an alliance partner of the BJP and their divisive politics has its inroads across the country.
Dikkanchi alleged that BJP has been trying to create hatred and communal conflicts and have been propagating the concept of “one nation, one religion and one language”.-From Our Correspondent
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