SHILLONG:
The National People’s Party (NPP) and the state Congress have found common ground, thanks to All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s recent remarks against both, particularly Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.
Both Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament and NPP state president, Wanwei Roy Kharlukhi, and Meghalaya Pradesh Congress president and Lok Sabha member Vincent Pala on Friday said that Meghalaya does not practise the West Bengal brand of politics.
“We never believe in violence. You have seen the elections in West Bengal where there is a lot of violence…, we are tribals and we are not like that,” Kharlukhi said.
When asked to react to the “conman” jibe made by Abhishek against the chief minister, he said it was not worth any comment. However, he did say, “He is the number two of a national party and to speak like that without any facts is unbecoming.”
It may be mentioned that while addressing party workers in the city on Tuesday, the AITC general secretary had termed the state chief minister as a “conman”.
“We have our own concept of democracy. You know very well how we elect our Syiems, how we elect our Dolois. Our people have been here since 3rd century BC. This is the democracy that we inherit and their democracy is too short a period,” Kharlukhi said.
Kharlukhi also said that the people of the state will not accept the culture of political violence as often seen in West Bengal.
Echoing him, Pala said Meghalaya politics is totally different from West Bengal politics.
“The mentality of Bengal politics is not like that in Meghalaya. In Meghalaya, thank God, we do not find the opposition and ruling party not talking to each other or not working together,” Pala told reporters while reacting to Banerjee’s allegation about the “unholy nexus” between the BJP and Congress in Meghalaya, after meeting the assembly Speaker, Metbah Lyngdoh, who is president of United Democratic Party (UDP).
“Whereas, if you see, Trinamool Congress in West Bengal or many other areas, do not have the liberty to do that. So Meghalaya politics is totally different from West Bengal politics,” he said, adding that the AITC leader was talking in line with West Bengal politics and not in line with Meghalaya politics.
Pala was also seen being escorted by the Speaker outside his chamber.
Stating that the question of unholy nexus does not arise, the Congress chief said, “As you are aware, everybody has left the Congress. For example, in all the constituencies of the five MLAs who left the Congress, we have already promoted aspirant candidates. So the question of Congress working with BJP does not arise as once they joined the government, we already suspended them so that does not arise.”
The Congress had suspended the five MLAs – Ampareen Lyngdoh, Mohendro Rapsang, Kimfa S Marbaniang, Mayralborn Syiem and PT Sawkmie for supporting the BJP-backed NPP-led MDA government.