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Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sep 20: The opposition Congress has ruled out any pre-poll alliance with other political parties for the upcoming Gambegre by-elections.

“In the election, we will have our own candidate. TMC, NPP, BJP may have their own candidates but we have no understanding for the Gambegre elections, we have our own candidate,” Congress chief Vincent H Pala told reporters today.

On the NPP’s prediction that the Congress will not be able to retain the Gambegre seat, Pala however said, “…the election is yet to be announced. Normally, in the bye-election, the government machinery will be used, misusing their power and definitely that is a sign that they are ready to misuse their power and they have already done it.”

Congress and the BJP are yet to announce their candidates for the bye poll whereas the NPP is fielding chief minister’s wife and TMC has approved the name of sitting MDC and wife of former Rangsakona legislator – for the Gambegre seat.

The bye-poll is necessitated following the resignation of sitting Congress legislator Saleng A Sangma after he was elected as Tura MP, earlier this year.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, May 22: The state women’s wing of the National People’s Party (NPP) today hailed the state government’s decision to appoint senior IPS officer Idashisha Nongrang as the first woman Director General of Police (DGP) of Meghalaya.

A delegation led by president of the National Peoples’ Women Front (NPWF) Dr Jasmine Lyngdoh met and felicitated the deputy chief minister in-charge home (police) Prestone Tynsong as a mark of appreciation to the government.  

“We have come to express our appreciation that deputy chief minister incharge home has appointed Idashisha as first woman DGP of Meghalaya, which is a very prestigious post and we see that yes this is a government that gives a lot of opportunities for our women to show their calibre and also that sense of workmanship and security for our women is very much there because of this appointment that has been made. We are very happy that the government takes very strong initiative and sees the potential in our women, who are very good leaders and who will give a lot of good service,” Dr Jasmine told reporters.

“As we know, Idashisha has also started announcing a series of new reformations in the police department. She is going to be meeting with the public, she is going to give a lot of emphasis on women safety and these are things that we from the National Peoples’ Women Front are very happy that this is happening,” she said.

She also expressed confidence that the newly-appointed DGP will take measures to ensure safety and security of women in the state.

“So this rise in crimes against women, we know that it is a global phenomenon but we understand that with a woman DGP a lot of emphasis would be done in terms of even ensuring that culprits are nabbed in time and measures are taken for security of women,” Dr Jasmine added.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 18: The National People’s Party (NPP) has filed a complaint against a social media user for allegedly making derogatory remarks against the party and young girls, who were performing during an election campaign for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

In an FIR filed with Tura police station today, District Secretary of NPP West Garo Hills Andresh Ch Marak said that the culprit is a teacher working in Chigitchakgre SSA school and as such the comment made by him is uncalled for and constitute an offence U/S 509/499/504 IPC.

He said that Laiban Panto Marak resident of Chigitchakgre, South Garo Hills had posted on social media and facebook user by the name of Rongdik TV Channel, a vulgar and derogatory remarks against the NPP party and young girls, who were performing a dance during the election campaign for the ongoing Lok Sabha election.

“The words used by the culprit are intended to insult the modesty of the girls in particular and women in general and also with an intent to insult the NPP. The comment posted by the culprit has hurt the sentiments of the members of the NPP party and the party workers as a whole,” Andresh said while urging the police to take legal action against the person.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 15: In continuation of the tradition started by (L) Purno Agitok Sangma, the National Peoples’ Party today kicked off its poll campaign from Adokgre in North Garo Hills.

Adokgre, named as “Chenanggre” or land of victory, has been the ground for the campaign for Purno Sangma. In 2016, Conrad K. Sangma, took over as National President of the party and has continued the tradition, which is over 30 plus years now.

All bigwigs of the party including State President Prestone Tynsong, Rajya Sabha MP Dr W.R. Kharlukhi, State Working President Marcuise Marak, and a host of other party leaders assembled at Adokgre to kick off the poll campaign.

Both the candidates Dr. Ampareen Lyngdoh for Shillong Lok Sabha and Agatha K. Sangma for Tura Lok Sabha were present at the campaign.

Speaking on the occasion, National President of NPP and Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Conrad K. Sangma said, “Be it MP, MLA or MDC elections, our father P A Sangma always began his campaign from Adokgre because he believed in victory and hence the name of Chenanggre. It used to start from a small rostom in the field, and today we stand before you from a stadium fulfilling our leader’s dreams.”

He said that Meghalaya in general, and Garo Hills in particular, has witnessed a mass transformation in the last six years. “Earlier, if roads were good then the belief was that the area belonged to Assam, while bad roads indicated Garo Hills. That is no longer the case,” he said.

Seeking votes in favour of Agatha, the NPP chief asked “Today the daughter of P A Sangma stands before you seeking your support. We cannot forget Late P A Sangma.”

He said that this election is important for NPP and expressed confidence the margin of victory will surpass that of the 1.90 lakh victory margin bestowed on him when he contested the by-poll following the death of P A Sangma in 2016.

“I am confident we will have the biggest margin of victory in this election which will be nothing short of 2.50 lakh or even 3 lakh margin,” a confident Conrad Sangma announced.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Nov 1: Former NPP state president and lone Rajya Sabha MP Dr WR Kharlukhi on Tuesday said that the party will fight and snatch away the Shillong seat from the Congress in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, slated to be held next year.

He said that the opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP), which has decided to join the fray, will face a test in 2024 in the MP elections as well as the Autonomous District Council (ADC) elections.

“We will fight and snatch (the Shillong seat from Congress),” Dr Kharlukhi told reporters.

Stating that the party is prepared for every election, he said, “We take every election seriously, we take our opponents seriously, all our opponents are equal, we rate them high and based on that we are preparing ourselves.”

Whether VPP will have any impact on the upcoming election, Dr Kharlukhi however said, “I never downgraded any political party. Once it is a political party, it has 4 MLAs, so we cannot downgrade it. So we are preparing for that also and we will see when the election comes and what will be the outcome.”

Further, the former NPP state president said that VPP is yet to be tested as a newly floated political party.

“Like what I have said, only when the results come if you remember you keep on asking me when TMC so I say they will be tested, only when they will be tested will we know. VPP got 4 MLAs and the areas where they got the MLAs and where they influenced you know, they are yet to be tested and we will see when 2024 comes in the MDC and MP elections then we will know how much their progress is,” he said.

On Shillong MP Vincent Pala’s allegation that NPP is importing candidates from other political parties, Dr Kharlukhi said, “That is the beauty of it, not only importing but exporting also is there in politics. Sometimes MLAs will move to this side, sometimes that side.

In politics, we don’t close our doors nor can we shut our doors. So importing and exporting is both ways.”

Referring to Pala’s statement that NPP is only giving lip service on the demand for inclusion of the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, the Rajya Sabha MP said that the only thing he knows is that no government has passed a resolution in the Assembly and NPP under CM’s leadership passed a resolution in the Assembly.

“I raised this issue and not only me but even Agatha and Pala also raised the issue in parliament. This is how far we could go,” he said.

Kharlukhi also said that Pala is the most popular person in parliament.

“Frankly speaking in parliament, especially in the central hall he (Pala) is the most popular and well-known person. Everybody knows him. Every MP in India knows him,” he said.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Oct 26: National People’s Party leader and deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong today said the NPP is neither an importer nor an exporter of political leaders.

Speaking to reporters, Tynsong said, “We are not an importer and we are not an exporter also, we are the NPP, the National People’s Party and we work here and serve the interest of the people and the state of Meghalaya and not only Meghalaya even in entire North East region.”

Opposition Congress chief and Shillong MP Vincent H Pala had recently affronted the NPP for having to “import” candidates from the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, slated to be held next year.

Pala had also alleged that the NPP is also approaching former Umroi legislator George B Lyngdoh from the TMC.

Tynsong said that he has no idea about Lyngdoh likely to join his party fold.

“I don’t know, I have no idea about it. So you can ask that from Pala…,” he added.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 15: National People’s Party (NPP) National President and Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today said the selection of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls will be based on the ‘winnability factor’.

 

“We have started our exercise and the party is screening a large number of candidates (for the Shillong parliamentary seat),” Sangma told reporters.

 

He said that the party will give appropriate opportunities to individuals, who would like to apply and contest from the party ticket.

 

“It will be a democratic process where we will allow people to participate and share their desire to contest and then accordingly we will choose the candidate based on winnability and other factors,” he added.  

 

The NPP chief was silent when asked if the party would field former Mawsyram legislator Himalaya Shangpliang, who recently quit the BJP, as its candidate from the Shillong constituency.

 

“Of course, we welcome everybody and we have always told everybody that joining has to be not based on any conditions as such. I am not talking about the concerned individual I am talking about in general. In general, everybody joins for the purpose of serving the people and the State and working through a particular party so that is the objective and that is how we would see it and of course, as I said if any individual whoever is in the party would like to apply for the ticket they can apply for the party ticket,” he said.

 

With regards to the Tura parliamentary seat, Sangma said there is a certain consideration for the incumbent and sitting MP Agatha K Sangma.

 

“Of course, we have a sitting MP out there and hence, obviously there is a certain consideration for the incumbent and sitting MP. Again as I said we have a full committee that processes the entire ticketing so therefore that process will also happen for Tura also,” he added.

 

On rumours that his elder brother and former Dadenggre legislator James K Sangma is also eyeing to contest the upcoming election, the NPP Chief, however, said, “As I said all different individuals can apply and we will scrutinize. The process is the same for all so the process will be followed.”

 

On the other hand, Sangma said the desire is always there to put up a common candidate.

 

“But we know politics have always been about the ideology and principle of each political party and each political party would want their particular candidate to be there and there is nothing wrong in it, it is similar to what we do as a party when it comes to the MDA, we contest the elections, so therefore, there is nothing wrong in it. And as far as I know, workers of all political parties also be it UDP or HSPDP or any other political parties, all the workers of the political parties would also want to see their party also grow and hence they would want to contest the elections. I am sure that most of the political parties would want to contest and there is nothing wrong,” he added.

 

If the NPP will seek support from the MDA partners, the NPP chief said, “We will discuss with everybody and then decide. We have not really gone so much into the discussion.”

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sep 7: Former Mawsynram legislator Himalaya M Shangpliang has informed that the post of adviser to the education department was offered to him by the chief minister Conrad K Sangma and deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong.

He alleged that this was after BJP state president Ernest Mawrie had stopped cabinet minister and Pynthorumkhrah legislator AL Hek from sending a letter to the chief minister for recommending the names of Shangpliang and M Kharkrang for some assignments. Mawrie had requested his own name for recommendation to the CM.

“The post of adviser (to the education department) was offered to me by the chief minister Conrad K Sangma and deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong. These two gentlemen called me one day and said have you been given any post? I said no. Then they said you can collect your appointment letter tomorrow,” Shangpliang told reporters.

The former legislator said he had requested Mawrie to send the names of four ex-MLAs and former IPS officer to the chief minister with recommendations for some assignments but he failed to do so.

“More shockingly, when I got this appointment of adviser, Hek called me and said please come over to my room and I went to his room and Hek congratulated me or rather ask me how you got your appointment, who recommended you, I said I got it from the chief minister directly,” he said.

Shangpliang said that accordingly, Hek revealed that Mawrie had asked him to stop sending the letter of recommending the names of Shangpliang and Kharkrang to the CM.

“Hek revealed something shocking…that Hek had already recommended my name and Kharkrang’s name in the DO letter for an assignment and that letter was addressed to the chief minister. As a matter of courtesy, Hek called up Mawrie saying I am sending one letter to the CM recommending two names – Shangpliang and Kharkrang – for some assignments. Mawrie said please hold on, I am coming to your room. Mawrie goes to Hek’s room and tells him to tear away that recommendation letter saying how could you do this as these two people have just joined the party yesterday, please recommend my name. You can ask Hek if you want to verify all these. Then Hek had to comply with the request of the party president and tore away that letter and rather recommended Mawrie’s name,” he said.

“How could you betray? This is treachery, this is betrayal. When I kept requesting him to give a recommendation for five of us to the chief minister for some posts, he rather goes from the backdoor and asked Hek to tear away that kind of recommendation and rather want his name to be recommended. Now it is up to Mawrie and Hek to clarify that as this is what Hek told me,” Shangpliang added.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sep 7: A day after quitting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), former Mawsynram legislator Himalaya M Shangpliang has announced his decision to join the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) on September 13.

“I am planning to join the NPP and the scheduled date for being inducted in the NPP is on September 13, at the NPP state headquarters office,” Shangpliang, who is also currently the adviser to the education department, told reporters today.

Asked if he will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from Shillong seat, the former legislator said, “I am making it very clear to you that I am joining the NPP without any conditions. Once I join the NPP, I will be a member of the party and whatever the high command finds me fit with the responsibility, I am ready to shoulder that.”

Also refusing to comment on the recent statement made by deputy chief minister Sniawbhalang Dhar that Shangpliang is one of the ticket aspirants for Shillong seat, he said, “I leave it to the judgment and the wisdom of the high command of the NPP to utilize my services to the best of my abilities and I am ready to serve the NPP with any responsibility given by them.”

Shangpliang said he has decided to join the NPP after seeing how the chief minister Conrad K Sangma has brought drastic change and a lot of development in the state of Meghalaya during the last five years.

“Therefore, I thought the NPP is the only party of the State that perhaps could provide the people of the State with the sense of security, the sense of development and a (better) future,” he added.

Further, Shangpliang claimed that more than 2,000 party workers holding responsible positions in the Mawsynram BJP Mandal have also tendered their resignation letters to the State president and they will all be joining the NPP on September 12, at Mawsynram.

“Prior to my resignation, I had met all my leaders in Mawsynram and I had taken their consent that we are moving out of the BJP. On September 13, all my top leaders will be escorting me for my induction (into the NPP),” he said.

The former Mawsynram legislator also denied the claims made by the BJP state president Ernest Mawrie that he wanted the MDA to set up a common candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

“I have never discussed Lok Sabha elections with Mawrie. I have never even asked for a ticket nor was there any discussion about some common candidate or something...,” he said.

“(In fact) one fine morning I saw the headline in the newspaper mentioning my name as a probable candidate for the Lok Sabha from the BJP party. Immediately I called up Dipayan Chakravarty, who is the vice president of the state BJP and I said how is it without my knowledge my name has come out in the press about being an MP candidate then the answer I got was we do not have any probable candidate or person except you that’s why we thought we will nominate your name. If they have discussed among themselves, I have nothing to say on that.”

Meanwhile, Shangpliang said there are no flaws in the BJP but the flaws are in the leadership of the state party because there were too many internal conflicts and nepotism which undermined the growth of the party in Meghalaya.

“I did not see any better future in the State BJP here though I would have loved to remain in the party. But there were lots of other issues. There were internal conflicts, there was nepotism which undermined the growth of the party. If we have to work for the welfare of the people then such things should not find a room such as internal conflicts and nepotism if we are there for the welfare of the people. Therefore, I thought the best way is to quit the party,” he said.

Shangpliang also slammed Mawrie for alleging nepotism in the appointment of his brother as president of the BJP Mawsynram mandal and said that Mawrie had appointed his wife as general secretary of the BJP Mahila Morcha and sideline deserving people who have silently worked throughout these years.  

“I would like to clarify that, we resigned from the TMC en masse and my cousin brother was already a block president under the TMC and that resignation en masse came to the BJP and accordingly he got that position again by virtue of entering the BJP and that was notified by Mawrie himself. It was not my doing. It was notified by the party president,” he said.

On the other hand, Shangpliang said it is not a question of acceptability as the BJP at the Centre has done a lot for the people of North East and it has also done a lot for the people of Meghalaya.

According to him, the four former MLAs, who have joined the BJP, should have been the ambassador of the party to inform people of the State about the various schemes given by the Prime Minister.

“We should have been the ambassador of the party, we should have been there to inform the people about the schemes that PM Modi has given to the people. That is where we failed. Why did we fail? It is because the organization has failed. There was no organization at the ground level to take forward the message of the PM. This is where we have gone wrong. There is nothing wrong with the party,” he said.

Shangpliang said he did try to meet the top leaders of the BJP including Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

“After the elections were over, I tried to get an appointment with the Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. I tried 3 times but I failed. Then I tried to get an appointment with Rituraj Sinha. There were times he never picked up my calls, there were times I messaged him and he would say I will call you back and I never got the calls – so those actually frustrated me.”

“I did meet Sanbor Shullai and I did brief him and Shullai was equally very angry with the whole situation and he didn’t have much to say of course and he said this is why our party is failing in the state. Then again, I met AL Hek several times. Just two days before I handed in my resignation letter I met Hek and finally I said I am resigning and I am quitting the party. He asked me what the reason was. I told him the reason and he said sorry for whatever has happened. That is all I could hear from them,” he said.

“I would leave all these issues to be addressed by the party. Before I left the house I had indicated the flaws in the house. Now it is up to the owner of the house to address the issues and straighten the house. I have nothing more to say because I have left the house,” he stated.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 1: Rajya Sabha MP and NPP state president WR Kharlukhi today questioned the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for banning coal mining in Meghalaya but failed to take action on the Delhi air pollution.

“We have pollution in Delhi. NGT is in Delhi. I have raised a question: it was not only disease-related, it was death-related. I am not talking about fish or animals, I am talking about human beings why nothing was done. Something should be done there also and NGT is in Delhi,” Kharlukhi told reporters.

Kharlukhi said, “I never say they (NGT and Supreme Court) are wrong (in banning coal mining in Meghalaya) but what I say is that yes you are doing here, you should also do it there.”

Stating that it really hurt him to see people suffering due to the coal ban, the NPP leader said, “This is not the stand of the government but my stand, Coal for us people coming from Jaintia Hills is our livelihood. It is enshrined as a fundamental right and denying coal mining for my people from my district which we have been practising for nearly four decades is like denying food for our people.”

“I am always for coal mining. You start whatever coal mining but my people should not starve,” he said.

Kharlukhi informed that he tried to raise the issue in the parliament but he could not get a chance despite the issue being listed two times.

“I was trying to show that if you have done here (coal ban in Meghalaya) why not do it there (Delhi) also. It doesn’t mean that we are far away, you can do whatever you like with us,” he added.

On the direction to start scientific mining of coal, the Rajya Sabha MP said coal has to be mined and mining should not stop.

“For 40 years we have been doing this and one fine day you stopped us. Central government should offer us this is how much your people are losing take this money that also was not offered to us. You just stop just because we are far away in the NE.  It should not be like that,” he said.

On rat hole mining of coal being declared illegal, Kharlukhi however said, “For 40 years they have been doing this. When my people were poor nobody realised that. If you look at uneducated people here they call them coal barons or coal mafia, they don’t even know the meaning of coal baron or coal mafia. Did you ever ask why because they could not have an education at that age. Those same people when they were 9-11 years old in those days may not have bonded labourers but they were working to feed their families and only when they were rich then these people started realising.”

He further claimed that people started dying due to coal mining after the blanket was imposed. Kharlukhi cited the incident at Sutnga area, where some boys had risked their lives by engaging in rat hole mining of coal because they had no money to feed the people coming for the church presbytery in their area.

He said that coal mining does not only benefit the rich people but it is boosting the economy of the state where all sections of people are benefiting.

Meghalaya Times

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