SHILLONG:
The 12 days since the February 27 polls have brought shifts in expectations, and forced the state, its legislators and voters, into deep self-examination.
Jemino Mawthoh, the general secretary of United Democratic Party (UDP), in an interview with The Meghalayan, was especially introspective.
The wound of his loss in the elections still fresh, at this juncture, he said, the party was in dire need of restructuring and remodelling, even as UDP increased its share of seats in 2023 – from 6 in 2018 to 11.
At least, Mawthoh says, the party has high expectations of Sohïong, where polling was adjourned due to the sudden death of UDP candidate HDR Lyngdoh and dates are yet to be announced by the Election Commission.
On questions posed to the party about their hesitance to take position in the opposition, Mawthoh recalled that the UDP legislators in 2013 took a serious hit when they joined the opposition, and only marginally recuperated in 2018 as part of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), despite their populist manifesto.
He added that the party has weakened, and this was responsible for UDP’s poor performance in the recently concluded elections.
COALITION A TOUGH ACT
Being in the government had its share of troubles too, he said, adding that the teachers’ protests and after-dark killing of Cheristerfield Thangkiew by state police lost the party some support.
“The people blamed the UDP. The mood was anti-MDA, but still the party managed to get 11 seats.”
Reportedly, UDP had asked the then Home minister Lahkmen Rymbui, also a party member, to step down following Thangkhiew’s shock killing. Although Rymbui handed his resignation to the Chief Minister’s Office, the request for relief was rejected as a “knee-jerk reaction,” with Conrad K Sangma, the chief minister, stating that the cabinet would not let “responsibility to fall on one person.”
Mawthoh is of the opinion that the first MDA government had its ups and down, and this meant a serious need for UDP to introspect where they have faltered.
The fate of UDP’s issues and agendas in its 2023 manifesto, and the drawing up of a common minimum programme, now hangs on hope.
He opined on the trickiness of coalition politics, with much of its proper functioning resting on respect between and within parties.
“I expect the government to do better this time,” he said.
Yet, at the time of campaigning, UDP had accused National People’s Party of a litany of corruption charges, but Mawthoh dismissed this as election rhetoric. “We are fighting on different planks,” he said. “The people gave a fractured mandate; we have to accept that.” He said even Home minister Amit Shah declared Meghalaya the most corrupt state under the last dispensation, yet it was one that his Bharatiya Janata Party was part of.
At the time, in March 2021, he said, UDP did bring up the issue of alleged mismanagement and corruption in Meghalaya Electricity Corporation Limited, and had demanded that then Power minister James Sangma step down. But it was a demand which never materialised.
DECISION TO STAY WITH UDP
Under MDA 1.0, Mawthoh was the legislator representing Nongthymmai constituency, but by 2023, the mandate shifted, and he lost to Trinamool Congress state president Charles Pyngrope.
Mawthoh said he wrestled with the verdict of his loss on March 2, counting day, and it almost made him step down from the party. But, after deep introspection, he decided to stay on and strengthen the party instead.
He said, “There are people who tell me to move out from the party. There are parties who gave me an offer to join them, but I refused.”
“When I lost, I was demoralised, and as a general secretary, I felt that I should resign. When it was decided that the party will join the government, I was all the more demoralised. But on second thought, I realised that, I should not be selfish.”