KRANG (SOHIONG):
Chief Minister and national president of National People’s Party (NPP) Conrad K Sangma said on Monday that senior leaders from other political parties would be joining the party on May 6.
Addressing an election meeting in support of the party candidate for the Sohiong constituency, Samlin Malngiang, here, he also lashed out at opponents for resorting to negative speeches during campaigning.
Election to the Sohiong Assembly seat is slated for May 10.
The chief minister said that he did not need to give many details about those expected to join the NPP as people already knew about the upcoming political development.
“This election is very important. In the next few days, you will hear more good news about the NPP with more people joining our party. Many more leaders are going to join our party within the next 4-5 days and we will have a grand function on the 6th of this month in this regard,” he said.
It may be mentioned that the MLAs from People’s Democratic Front (PDF) Banteidor Lyngdoh and Gavin Miguel Mylliem are expected to merge with the NPP.
The chief minister boasted that the NPP was growing by the day and was now one of the largest parties in the country.
Sangma went on to say that there are political parties that raise many issues that need to be cleared in the Parliament but maintained that with only 1-4 MLAs, such political parties cannot do so.
NEGATIVE MINDSET
Hitting out at a section of people and opposition parties, Sangma will continuously speak in a negative way, but once they go beyond Khanapara, they find themselves at sea. “This is not political leadership and not how a leader should behave. You must fight for your people but at the same time respect others,” he said.
He appealed to the people to not listen to political parties which have a negative mindset while asserting that he believes in positive politics and will not make fun of others.
“They will work with the National People’s Party when it is convenient for them and when the election campaigns begin, they will speak against the NPP. Friends, I want to tell them that in Indian culture, as well as in the Khasi and Garo culture, we do not spit on the plate from which we eat,” he said.
Sangma criticised political parties that resort to politics which is not healthy for the people and the state and said that they are hypocrites.
He went on to say, “The same people will come and speak about different languages and say that we will not accept Hindi, and we will not listen to Hindi in the Assembly but the same political parties will go to Delhi and urge Delhi to give us this and that, what kind of hypocrisy is this? We will make fun on the one hand and on the other, still demand.”
Meanwhile, speaking at the meeting, Malngiang challenged the United Democratic Party (UDP) to withdraw from the government.
“Do not listen to UDP as it is a jinxed party, it won the election in Sohiong only once, in 1998 and after that never. This time we will ensure it loses,” he said.
‘LET GO OF UDP’
Sohiong NPP leaders made it clear to the chief minister that the UDP should be “kicked out and instead Samlin (Malngiang) be made as the Cabinet minister.”
As for the request to make him the minister, Sangma joked that the people of Sohiong have not given Malngiang’s hand in marriage to the NPP yet.
Sangma said, “This is only the engagement that is happening now. The wedding has not taken place yet, after you give us our son-in-law to the Assembly from the NPP, then on the wedding day we will decide on how to go forward with the Cabinet berth.”