NCP to contest from 60 seats in 2018

SHILLONG, AUG 23: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Meghalaya state is eyeing on “prospective” candidates to set up from the 60 seats in the upcoming assembly elections, to be held next year, even as it claimed many sitting legislators would also join the party.

“If we get prospective candidates, we will contest from all the 60 seats next year,” NCP state president Sanbor Shullai told reporters after inaugurating the office of the party at Laitumkhrah here on Wednesday.

He said that party’s central leadership had already entrusted sitting Independent MLA from Gambegre Saleng A Sangma, who is an associate member of the party, with the liberty to revive and strengthen the NCP in the state ahead of the elections.

Shullai also claimed that many sitting MLAs belonging to different political parties and also sitting MDCs as well as former legislators would also soon be joining the party.

According to him, the inauguration of the party state office will also further facilitate and pave way for other friends to join the party.

On the other hand, Sangma said he along with other MLAs from Garo Hills will soon join the party officially.

The legislator, who recently managed to swayed BJP supporters from Dalu constituency to the NCP as part of the task entrusted to him, said that after looking at all political parties he realized that the NCP is the only party which can give justice to the people of the state.

Having said this, Sangma cited an example by referring to the constituency of NCP national chief Sharad Pawar where maximum of the people there are employed and engaged in livelihood activities.

Stating that the 2018 elections in Meghalaya will be a different one, he said, “All this while, lies (empty promises) have engulfed the state, but the NCP is well prepared to face the elections by bringing a change through truth and reality.”

Apart from the sitting legislators expressing their keen interest to join the NCP, he however said that the party will also try to bring new faces to the arena.

Sangma also reiterated that the NCP, which is presently a coalition partner of the Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA-II) government, is firm in fighting the upcoming elections on its own.

“We will try to field in candidates from all the seats in Garo Hills and Khasi – Jaintia Hills region,” he said.

Asked, he however said that whether the NCP will have a post-poll alliance with other political parties can only be determined after the elections are over.

“It is for the people to decide. Let them choose the best (political party) to lead the state,” Sangma said while appealing to the people to realize this before the election less they regret later on.

On the performance of the ruling Congress, the associate member legislator said there have been a lot of sanctioning (of developmental schemes) done by the present government but one has to look at the reality whether these may be just for the sake of elections.

“There are many districts (especially the newly created ones) which are handicapped. Tell one good districts out of these which are fully functional,” he said.

Pointing at the pathetic health care services in the state, he went on to add that residents of a district in Garo Hills have even offered to surrender the amount earmarked to each family enrolled under Megha Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS) for construction of a civil hospital.

He also said that had the present state government performed well then why are people demanding implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) and then the NGT ban on coal mining which is affecting the people and the state economy.

“Why is there lots of chaos in the state? Therefore, it is for the people to decide,” he added.

Earlier, Sangma said that the former home minister Robert G Lyngdoh was supposed to inaugurate the NCP state office but he cancelled his coming due to some unavoidable circumstances.

“But in the future, he (RG Lyngdoh, a former Congress leader) will be advising us to work along with other parties to look into the requirement of the people of the state,” he said.