SHILLONG:
TMC MLA from Songsak and former chief minister Dr Mukul Sangma, on March 3, talked tough on getting the numbers to form the government, despite the current political situation going against the UDP-TMC’s favour.
“Numbers can be claimed and counter-claimed. When we submit our claim, all the other events will unfold. We know how to get the numbers,” he said.
Interestingly, while legislators of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Trinamool Congress (TMC), Voice of the People Party (VPP), People’s Democratic Front (PDF), including the president of the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) were holding a meeting on Friday, to discuss how to stitch an alliance to beat the NPP-BJP alliance to form the government, two HSPDP and two independent legislators have already submitted their letter of support to the NPP to form the government.
Stating that the meeting held at UDP leader Lahkmen Rymbui’s residence in Laitumkhrah was to discuss how to work out the modalities, Sangma said, “The purpose of this meeting is to understand the responsibility that is vested on us as elected representatives,” he said.
He further said that the people of Meghalaya did not give a decisive mandate to any political party. “The fractured mandate given by the people is loud and clear; it is a reflection of the change that people want to see,” he added.
When asked about the leader of the new and unnamed alliance between UDP, TMC, VPP and PDF, Sangma said, “We are discussing that but let me ask you – which is largest party? It’s the UDP. So, it’s clear and simple; you can to draw an assumption from there.”
Asserting that they will work towards pulling the state out of the “mess created by the NPP and BJP in the last five years”, Sangma said that the state was confronted by so many unpleasant issues, “and we do not want people to be subjected to similar kinds of blunders they witnessed in the last five.”
“We want to ensure that the tag of Meghalaya being the most corrupt state does not become synonymous with Meghalaya,” he added.
Reacting to queries on possible conflict of interests between leaders of the different political parties that have different ideologies, the TMC leader said, “There is no easy quick fix. Yes, we are working towards bringing everyone together; out priority is to serve the larger interest of the people.”