SHILLONG:
The National People’s Party (NPP), on February 2, oozed confidence that it would cross the halfway mark in the February 27 assembly election to form the new government.
Speaking to reporters, NPP vice-president and deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong claimed the party would get “34 seats and above.”
His confidence appeared to stem from the good response the party has been receiving from voters across the state. He said that never in his political career had he seen such a wave of support and attributed it to people’s belief that the NPP-led government has performed better than any other in the past and that all allegations leveled against the party were unfounded.
On BJP’s eventual decision to not pull out of the government as it has been threatening to do, Tynsong said this was because the party’s allegations had no substance at all and the voters are mature enough to give a fitting reply on March 2 when the votes are counted.
He said he was surprised to see BJP deciding to stay put in the government because a few of the party’s state leaders had threatened to leave the MDA government and leveled many allegations because of which he had also asked them to leave, but it is too late for them now.
He also questioned why the BJP had made no allegation during the past four-and-a-half years and started doing it with a few months left for the election. “Let the people judge,” Tynsong added.
The NPP leader also took on the Congress for accusing the government of protecting the corrupt. “It is baseless. It is only to get votes and to create confusion among the voters, but let me just tell you very clearly this time we are going to cross 34 seats and above,” he asserted.
He also pointed out that the government is still there and its machinery is working to check each and every department and necessary action can be taken on any complaint .
Tynsong said that people of Ranikor constituency will question the recent exit of MM Danggo from the party to join the BJP.
Suggesting that some research should be done before joining any party, he said that Danggo left Congress and joined the NPP, and then went back to Congress and came back to NPP, only to leave the NPP at the eleventh hour and join the BJP.
On BJP poaching NPP candidates, the veteran politician sounded casual stating that it is politics and refused to make any comments.
Asked about the release of the NPP manifesto, he said that it would in all likelihood be released at a rally in Jowai on Friday.