Staff Reporter
SHILLONG:
People’s Democratic Front (PDF) cabinet minister and MLA of Mawkynrew, Banteidor Lyngdoh, refuted the claim of the National People’s Party (NPP) of securing an absolute majority by pointing out “empty chairs” at the NPP election rally held recently at Polo grounds.
Commenting on NPP’s claim of crossing the magic number, he said, “What the NPP president (Conrad Sangma) has claimed is not like that. I’ll tell you why. Because you have seen the rally they have organised and you have seen the empty chairs.”
According to him, the empty chairs are a sign that people are not happy.
“Every party claims, but it is not like that. I think you have seen the history of Meghalaya, the maximum number is 20 and not more than that,” he said.
“It seems that the people are not happy, something is there. I think they (the party) has to rectify, otherwise it is such a big rally organised in a professional way, so why have the people not turned up as they have expected,” he said.
The PDF leader is unperturbed with the exit of two of its MLAs – cabinet minister Hamletson Dohling and NPP candidate from Umsning Jason Mawlong.
“Two of us (him and Gavin Mylliem) are still intact in the party and I do not want to comment anything about it. People they know and they will give the best answer in 2023,” Lyngdoh said.
The party won the 2018 Meghalaya Legislative Elections with four seats.
Lyngdoh said that the party is doing well in East Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills, Ri Bhoi and hoped that the party comes up with good numbers in the upcoming election.
He added that the preparation is in full swing and is getting positive response from the people claiming that the party is living up to the aspirations of the people.
With NPP president Conrad Sangma denying that NPP offered Rs 5 crore to Lyngdoh to join the party, the PDF MLA stuck to his guns and said, “I will stick to it. I am not saying for the sake of election.”