Staff Reporter
SHILLONG:
Voice of the People Party (VPP) president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit on January 12 criticised the regional parties for “failing” to fulfil the aspirations of the people of the state.
Speaking at a public gathering in Motphran, he said, “If the United Democratic Party (UDP) had not failed, I would not have left it, if the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) would have taken my advice to not work together without proper understanding in the previous government, I would not have left it.”
Before the 2018 general elections, he informed that the UDP and HSPDP went on a pre-poll alliance as they had witnessed the governance of the state under former chief minister Mukul Sangma who had served the state for eight years, when he was in Congress.
“Congress was getting strong and before they get another chance, we felt it is time to bring about an understanding between UDP and HSPDP. We intended to bring about a non-Congress and non-BJP government,” Basaiawmoit said.
Maintaining that he is a regionalist, he said that the tribal community does not need to be governed by political parties from outside the state.
He said he is unwilling to lead the tribal community if the people do not give their mandate to the party as having one – two MLAs is not enough to debate in the Legislative Assembly.
“We are a new party, we put up new faces, those who are blameless and who have the desire to serve the people,” he said.
Basaiawmoit said that the VPP stands on the principles of clean politics and criticised the present government for corruption.
He claimed, “The government complains that it has no funds – no money to procure medicines for government hospitals, no money to pay the teachers.”
He went on to allege that the government appoints numerous chairmen in various posts and their salaries come up to lakhs of rupees, appointed consultants from outside and pay them in lakhs, and appoint a retired IAS officer.
“The government said that it spent Rs 816 crore to fight COVID. The VPP cannot accept this. If the people allow us to lead the state, we will find out how the Rs 816 crore was spent,” Basaiawmoit said.
He said that many youths are depressed as they see no future.
Stating that the candidates are scrutinised and tickets are not given randomly, he said, “There were some who called me to seek tickets and I told them – ‘You were denied ticket from TMC, and now you come to us, we are not dust bins’.”