Mukul vacates Ampati seat

SHILLONG, MAR 16: Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Mukul Sangma on Friday decided to vacate Ampati, the seat he had represented for more than 25 years since 1993.

Sangma handed over his resignation letter as the legislator of Ampati constituency before the Assembly’s Speaker Donkupar Roy at his chamber hereon Friday.

When Roy asked how he felt vacating the seat, Sangma replied, “Only the heart knows”.

The veteran Congress leader had won from two seats – Ampati and Songsak – in the just concluded Assembly polls held on February 27, earlier this year.

He was re-elected for six-time as legislator of Ampati since 1993 to 2018. Sangma has also been serving as chief minister for two-term from April 20, 2010 to March 4, 2018.

Speaking to reporters, the former chief minister said, “It is always not an easy decision to decide as to which seat to vacate out of the two. However after long drawn engagement with my beloved people, who have stood firm with me and the party for long 25 years, we have collective decided to let this seat be vacated and let Songsak be retained.”

Thanking the electorate of Ampati for electing him consecutively for six terms, Sangma said, “They are instrumental in motivating me, inspiring me in my intent to serve the people serve the state and that is the reason why I could focus more unlike the other legislators who had to frequent their constituencies while occupying a position of responsibility such as the position of a chief minister.”

“They have definitely given me the whole strength, motivation and inspiration allowing me to have more focus attention in the affairs of governance in the last eight years when I had the privilege of occupying the post of a chief minister of the state,” he added.

Sangma said that he will continue to serve them inspite of the seat being vacated adding that he will remain connected with the people of Ampati through his heart.

Stating that the decision was for the larger interest of the state, he said, “The collective decision is to let us continue to serve the people and the state. When I do so, they share the whole joy to see that somebody they have elected for so many years is serving.”

On reports that his eldest daughter Miani D Shira would contest in his place in the bye-election for Ampati seat, Sangma said, “Of course that (people wanted her to contest) was the echoed resonating from the electorate so we will take a call after looking at all the pros and cons.”

He also informed that the decision on this regard has to be taken collectively with the party including block and grassroot level, along with the electorate.

On his priorities for Songsak constituency, Sangma pointed out that Songsak is a constituency which requires lots of nurturing and lots of attention. “I would love to do (serve) so as I have inherited Ampati in that kind of state where development was missing,”he said.

Stating that he had nurtured and transformed Ampati constituency, he said, “So it will be a great privilege to take care of people who are otherwise perceived to have been less attended to by people who represented them.”

Whether it would be a challenge for the Congress to retain the Ampati seat with NPP leading the government, Sangma said, “Never as it is a question of the trust and faith.”

He claimed that even though he did not have the privilege of time to campaign in Ampati in 2013 and similarly in 2018, yet people have reposed their faith and confident in his leadership.

“So it is completely on the basis of trust and the affection and love that people have for me that I also had the faith and confidence, the whole courage to depend on them completely without having the time to campaign in my constituency which is rare,” he said.

He also extended the same credit to the electorate of Songsak constituency, who without him campaigning, have also ensured victory to the party and the candidate.

“Therefore this is something I had said to electorate of Songsak and they also assured me that you don’t have to campaign we will ensure you are elected and they have proven this too,” Sangma added.

By Our Reporter