Staff Reporter
SHILLONG:
The Voice of the People Party (VPP) described the chaotic events of the last few days over government formation as “political drama”.
“These are only dramas before they join the group with whom they have been working together in the last five years. They already had an understanding. These are only means to fool (the people),” VPP president Ardent Miller Basaïawmoit said.
Basaïawmoit was referring to the attempt of the United Democratic Party (UDP) to form a non-National People’s Party (NPP) and non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance, but finally joining the NPP-led alliance.
Basaïawmoit, whose party had initially supported a coalition of six national and regional parties to oppose NPP, said that the UDP and PDF voters have been betrayed.
“The ink on their fingers is yet to dry but they have already been betrayed,” he said, adding that the people should ponder over whether loyalty to regional parties has any meaning.
“They had the opportunity to lead the government, but they did not take that chance,”Basaïawmoit said.
Last week, VPP had set forth a list of conditions to join a proposed UDP-led alliance, barring which it would only provide outsider support to the coalition against NPP.
After the failed attempt of UDP to stitch together a coalition, which would have included Mukul Sangma’s Trinamool Congress and Vincent Pala’s Congress, Basaïawmoit stated that the elected VPP legislators will focus on fulfilling their role as opposition leaders.