GUWAHATI:
Meghalaya Chief Minister and National People’s Party (NPP) supremo Conrad Sangma on November 20 clarified that there would be no pre-poll alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) even as the NPP has maintained coalition in the Centre, Meghalaya and other states.
However, there would be a post-poll alliance with the saffron party in the given political situation in the future and if the occasion arises, Sangma told reporters on the sideline of Purvottar Swabhiman Utsav organised by the Eastern Command of Indian Army at Assam Administrative Staff College in Khanapara.
“We have always fought elections on our own. NPP has never had any pre-poll alliance. We always believe that we have our own vision, goals and own ideology. Hence when we go to the people for elections we go with our ideology. We never go for pre-poll alliance. In the last Manipur election, Nagaland election, Mizoram and Arunachal elections we have fought on our own,” Sangma said.
“Moreover, the politics of the Northeast is not the same as it is in other parts of the country, especially the smaller states. We have very individual-centric, candidate-centric elections here. We have elections with a lot of minor factors localities, like communities, like different leaders, all these play very important roles and hence mixing metering of leadership and candidates who can contest in the grassroot level determines ultimately who will win,” Sangma also said.
“Keeping the complexities in mind, BJP is contesting on its own and NPP is also contesting on its own. We have always maintained that we are committed to the coalition at the Centre as well as in the state and other states also. And given the political situation in the future and if the occasion arises we have a coalition also. But fighting an election, we will fight on our own,” Sangma also said.
The Chief Minister said the BJP can’t form government in the state alone. “BJP claimed that they are going to form the government. I think it is not a realistic statement now. They know how many candidates are strong and so it will not be easy for them,” Sangma further said.
“And regarding the candidates who come up who have been put up against me, I have no problem. I know my electorates. I know my constituency and the work that I have done. The people also know what work we have done and I am sure that the people will repose faith in my candidature as MLA. Let’s see, an election is an election I never take anybody lightly. We will fight,” the CM said.
“Initially, Congress was the major opposition for us. Congress had 17 MLAs. But later, Congress broke into two pieces. From them, Trinamool Congress (TMC) came out. Half remained in Congress and half in TMC. So the opposition is already divided,” he said.
“There is no united opposition. There are doubts in people’s minds about whether the opposition parties can form the government because they are not united anymore. They broke into half,” he also said.
“After TMC and Congress broke into half, TMC is further breaking into half in between themselves. Many TMC MLAs are joining NPP or other political parties. I do not want to talk about it now. So TMC is going to further break. I do not know if is it a sign of getting stronger or weaker. It is to be decided by the people,” he further said.
“Political scenario in the Northeast and in Meghalaya especially in the current situation TMC is a party which has come in a way though they had some instances in the past they had come in. But it could not sustain and it could not build the organisation and even today in this particular elections the party is not as acceptable as they thing are,” Sangma said.
“And the organisation will take lot of time to build up. Given this situation, the fact that the opposition broke into three four five pieces, and TMC is new and it will take time for its acceptability. Keeping all this in mind, it would be wrong to conclude that or anybody to say that they will be able to form a government. We should accept reality. The first thing for any organisation is to improve the organisation first and accept where they stand and now work and strengthen,” he added.