SHILLONG:
Member of district council (MDC) Teiborlang Pathaw is the National People’s Party’s (NPP) candidate for the Mawlai constituency in the upcoming 2023 Assembly polls.
Deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong announced the development while welcoming the Mawlai MDC into the NPP’s fold in a ceremony held at Mawlai Mawdakbaki, on March 25.
“As announced by the deputy chief minister, Teiborlang Pathaw is the candidate of the NPP from Mawlai,” national president of NPP, Conrad K Sangma said, formally welcoming the Khasi Hills District Autonomous Council (KHADC) executive member and his supporters to the NPP family.
Referring to Pathaw as an “icon” for his effort to resolve the unemployment problem, the chief minister said, “He is a person who believes in the youth and has been working to resolve their issues. He is not somebody who comes and lectures people about resolving unemployment, but does it. He is an icon and Pathaw today has created 1,000 jobs. Imagine, what he will do if bestowed with more power, more opportunity to work in a much larger way for the Mawlai constituency,” he added.
Stating that his decision to join the NPP was born out of his desire to ensure good governance to the people of his constituency, the MDC said, “Compared to other parties, I see hope in the NPP as it is the only party which can ensure good governance, peace, tranquility and all-round development in the state.”
Asserting that the NPP is the first regional political from the Northeast region to get a national party status, Pathaw said, “Most of our regional parties end only in Byrnihat as they can’t expand beyond the boundaries of the state, but NPP has its own office in Delhi. It will be the voice of our people in Delhi.”
He also expressed confidence that NPP will get majority in the upcoming 2023 polls. “The NPP wants to address many issues and this will only happen if it gets a single majority, which I am confident that it will,” said Pathaw.
The chief minister also expressed confidence that with more and more people joining the party, the NPP will come out with flying colours, not just in Mawlai, but across the state.
He, however, warned the party leaders, from Mawlai in particular and the state in general, not to be complacent and keep working in a “fear mode” in the run-up to the polls.
“You have to think that you are losing. That is when you will go the extra mile to win as elections are not easy. In fact, they are very tough. Therefore, I want each and every one of you to make sure that the fear mindset is there,” he said, addressing the party leaders and workers at the do.
Elaborating on the performance of the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government during the past four years, the chief minister said his government had taken decisions many leaders would not even dare to touch because they are scared of the political ramifications.
“For instance, we are trying to resolve the border issue. Many people asked us why do you want to touch the border issue, but the cabinet felt that we are here to serve the people and find a lasting solution to it (border row) is our duty. People have bestowed responsibilities on us and if we do not do our job, we will be failing in our duty to serve the people. Therefore, we took tough decisions.”
He further assured that in the coming days, the state will resolve many of the pending issues.
“We are working silently but in a very aggressive mode to find solutions. We like our actions to speak louder than words. That is also the reason why young and dynamics people, who want to do good for the state, today are joining the NPP,” he said.