Shillong, March 15: Deputy Chief Minister and NPP leader Sniawbhalang Dhar has ridiculed three parties having a foothold in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region ahead of the Lok Sabha elections with taunts of intensive care and wilderness.
The opposition Congress is in a state of intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital and it is pointless to re-elect its candidate and sitting MP Vincent H Pala from Shillong parliamentary seat, said Dhar.
He did not spare the two other parties- the opposition Voice of People Party (VPP) and United Democratic Party (UDP), which is a partner in the NPP government, claiming they cannot go beyond Byrnihat (border with Assam).
Addressing at a meeting held at Byrnihat, Ri Bhoi on Thursday, to drum up support for the NPP’s candidate for Shillong and cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, Dhar said there are around 4-5 candidates, who will be contesting in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
“However, the candidate of the UDP will not reach anywhere and the VPP candidate also as you all know will only end up in Nongpoh (Byrnihat),” he said. He further claimed that voters, especially Garos and non-tribals, are not inclined towards the two parties.
Terming the Congress as a sinking party, Dhar said, “Congress is a party, which is already in the ICU and we don’t know what will happen to it. The grand old party now has only 5 MLAs (in Meghalaya). The party, which had ruled the Centre once with a majority of 543 now is being reduced to only 40-50 and in this coming elections, I don’t think they will even cross 40 seats. So why should we want to send the Congress MP. If we send (the Congress), we are fighting a losing battle already.”
“Therefore, I urge the people that the only option now is for you to vote for NPP’s Ampareen Lyngdoh,” he claimed.
He also said that the people will be the best judge on the performance of Pala during the past 15 years.
