SHILLONG
Suspended Congress legislator Process T Sawkmie asserted that he will contest the 2023 assembly polls from the United Democratic Party (UDP) because he feels that this party understands the issues of the indigenous people of the state.
Sawkmie said that the UDP understands the problems of the people of the state and it will be able to tackle them.
The suspended MLA said that the National People’s Party (NPP) which is a national party will not spend much time for the issues of the indigenous people of the state.
“Why I am saying this is that if the NPP takes up issues of the indigenous people then we would have got ILP (Inner Line Permit), Khasi and Garo languages would have been included in the Eighth Schedule by now,” he said.
The suspended MLA also said that what he sees is that the national parties are not interested in such issues.
Sawkmie said that the UDP is concerned over issues of influx or illegal immigration from Bangladesh.
“National parties will not understand these issues; they will spend more time with issues of national interest. They are not bothered about us,” he said.
He said that he expects the UDP to do well in the 2023 assembly elections and the people of the state will give them an opportunity to form the government.
Sawkmie said that the NPP is not concerned about the issue of employment since they are more interested in national politics.