Tura MP Saleng A Sangma vacates Gambegre Assembly seat

Three-time Gambegre legislator Saleng A Sangma on Monday tendered his resignation as member of the State Assembly after being elected as new Tura MP.

His resignation was accepted by Assembly’s Commissioner & Secretary Andrew Simons. Saleng was accompanied by the working president of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) and former minister Deborah Marak and Congress Mahilas.

Saleng defeated Chief Minister’s sister and former Tura MP Agatha K Sangma by a massive margin of over 1.55 lakh votes.

Addressing the media, Saleng said, “I got elected for the Lok Sabha so before swearing in I think it is better to resign (and vacate Gambegre Assembly seat).”

He informed that he would discuss with his people and party leaders in regards to the setting up of a candidate for the upcoming bye-election for Gambegre seat.

On INDIA Bloc having to sit in the opposition, the Tura MP however said, “Now, I don’t think this is the first time for me to be in the opposition. I was in the opposition for the whole five years as a lone independent MLA. This time, I have got friends in the parliament, which have barely few margins to be in the opposition. Last time, I was alone but this time, we are a team.”

“(As INDIA Bloc) we are showing true colour and spirit of democracy so we are sticking together and we will not be tempted by any offer given by BJP or NDA,” he said.

Spelling out his priorities as the newly elected Tura MP, Saleng said that he would be taking up in the parliament long pending issues of the state which include Inner Line Permit (ILP), inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India, to move the Centre for changes in the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) among others.

He also accused former Tura MP Agatha Sangma of not speaking a word about ILP in the parliament and said, “ILP issue was taken up by Vincent Pala and not by Agatha. She had only given representation to the minister but she had not spoken a single word (about the ILP issue) on the floor of the House.”

“We have also got a lot of issues pertaining to unemployment, pertaining to education and corruption. Moreover, the drug issue has also boomed in our state and this needs to be contained and seriously looked into,” he said.

“Right now, the advantage is that somewhat the democracy is safe because the BJP-led NDA, they have not got the majority, that is why there is a chance for us and moreover they cannot bulldoze anymore,” Saleng added.

Asked, he said, “Of course we will be dealing with CAA. They have already been notified. CAA has been notified from before no doubt but we might be able to make changes so we will call for that and we will discuss with leaders from Delhi on how to go about it as there’s lots of rules and regulations, which they already framed it, so we will study the matter and see how can it be revoked or make changes in some areas.”

Stating that speaking the “truth” has led to Congress’ victory in Garo Hills, Saleng said, “There was no such agenda, it was the truth that we have spoken. We have talked about the Manipur issue, about minority issues, we talked about issues happening in and around and moreover negligence of the state government and the MP then, that’s what we tried to flash out and speak the truth. We didn’t make any promises or agenda but the thing is that we made a promise that we will definitely look after them and try to bulldoze our Christian community and all the minorities and sections of the people not only within the state but outside the state also and also within the country.”

Further, the Congress MP said that TMC and other political parties have never supported him during the just concluded Lok Sabha polls.

“TMC never supported me. Who told you that? They never supported. It is the voters, I am telling you and definitely it is the divine intervention, it’s God himself who has blessed me. Forget TMC. Anybody can speak anything brother but it doesn’t mean that we are not accepting, nobody has supported us, only people and the Lord himself,” he added.

Whether BJP supporting NPP was also a factor for his victory, Saleng however said, “No it’s the people only, I don’t want to give credit to any party. It is the people and the church leaders.”

Thanking the people of Garo Hills, the Congress MP said, “They are God fearing people, they are not identified as BJP, NPP, or Congress. They are peace loving people and that’s the reason why they have chosen me to do something, to make a difference. Nobody is TMC, nobody is Congress, nobody is NPP, but the thing is that since they have been given some designation in some areas, that is why they chose to be in that particular party but nobody is TMC, NPP, they are all public, they needed to make a change for their own family and their society that’s why they have chosen me not as a Congress but they have chosen me for change and so I will definitely try to deliver.”