SHILLONG:
The Voice of the People Party (VPP) on March 2 said it was not ready to work with the National People’s Party (NPP) given the many charges of corruption against the party during the past five years.
The newly floated party also maintained that a government led by a regional force should be formed in the state.
After being re-elected as Nongkrem legislator, VPP chief Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit told reporters that the question of talking to the NPP for government formation does not arise, since his party is not at all interested in working with them.
“Under no circumstances will we work with the NPP,” Basaiawmoit said.
VPP has managed to win 4 out of 59 assembly seats for which elections were held.
When asked for the reason behind the anti-NPP stand, the VPP chief mentioned the long list of corruption charges against NPP when it was leading the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government as a factor.
“So how will you expect us to work with such a party which has so many allegations of corruption and till now there has been no investigation into these charges that are satisfactory to the people of the state,” Basaiawmoit said.
Stating that a coalition government will be formed in the state, the VPP leader, however, said, “We will see which are the groups or partners which need our support, and as it is, we have already prepared certain conditions that we would like to put forth to any party which wants to work with the VPP.”
“If there is a way, our aim is to have a government which will be led by a regional party,” he asserted.
The re-elected Nongkrem legislator, however, informed that it couldn’t be said for now whether VPP will sit in the opposition, “but it doesn’t matter whichever side, as we will continue to stick and stand by our principles”.
On the allegation that VPP has been funded by the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), Basaïawmoit said, “This is just election propaganda which has come out from the dirty tricks department of the established parties in the state.”
He said that VPP is the only party which cannot even provide sufficient flags to its supporters.
According to him, the support extended by the people to VPP in a short span of time only shows that they are desperate for a change in the state.
As for the Sohiong seat, for which election has been adjourned following the demise of former home minister and United Democratic Party candidate HDR Lyngdoh, Basaiawmoit said that the party will see if the rules allow it to field a candidate.
VPP North Shillong legislator Adelbert Nongrum said that the party has been given four seats, as people have seen the performance of NPP in the past five years.
“People desire change and VPP is the best option for the people,” he added.