Shillong, Feb. 7: With Meghalaya on election mode, the state has already witnessed a new trend: of candidates displaying their popularity by marching to the election offices to file their nomination papers with hordes of supporters in tow. Hitherto, such a sight was only seen on television in images taken from other parts of the country during the time of different elections.
Perhaps, another instance of marginalized Meghalaya integrating with mainland India! How about reverse integration then?
Independent candidate from the Pynthorumkhrah constituency Process T. Sawkmie may just have started that, well, for want of better word, process when on Thursday he along with his huge pile of supporters marched to the deputy commissioner’s office here on a day when the polling officials were engaged in scrutinizing the papers of candidates. Show of popularity while filing nominations papers are witnessed everywhere, but on the day of scrutiny of papers? Never, till today that is.
Knowing the penchant of Indian politicians to use every occasion to display their popularity, what Meghalaya witnessed today could become a common scrutiny-day occurrence in the rest of the country in the future.
Not that such show of popularity is guaranteed to impress the people at large, especially those who get caught in traffic snarls resulting from big marches. Hundreds of Sawkmie supporters, who went to the DC’s office in cars, bike and on foot, caused traffic jams on different thoroughfares of the town. So long was procession that when the head of the rally reached the AIR gate, the tail portion was at the All Saints Junior School gate. (By Our Reporter)
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