NPP keen to wrest Shillong LS seat from Cong

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.

NPP not an importer, exporter of political leaders: Tynsong

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.

Selection of candidates for LS polls will depend on ‘winnability’: Conrad

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.”

Govt bats for change in MLAs pension

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 15: The Legislative Assembly of Meghalaya (Member’s Pension) (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which seeks to reduce the qualifying years of 2 years and 6 months for an MLA to be eligible to receive a pension, was tabled in the first day of the Assembly’s autumn session held today.

Stating the object and reasons after introducing the Bill, Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Parliamentary Affairs Prestone Tynsong said that the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly has proposed to reduce the qualifying years of 2 years and 6 months as contained in proviso to section 3 (l) of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly (Member’s Pension) Act, 1977.

He said that the existing provision in section 3 of the said Act puts a cap of 2 years and 6 months for an MLA to be eligible to receive a pension. In view of this law, members who have served as an MLA for less than this period were not eligible to receive a pension.

Tynsong also said there are few persons who were members of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly who have fallen short of 2 years and 6 months as required in section proviso to section 3 (l) of the said Act and thus ineligible to receive a pension.

“To enable these persons to be eligible to receive a pension, the instant amendment is being placed. Therefore the proposal to amend section 3 of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly (Member’s Pension) Act, 1977 by inserting a new proviso and by giving it retrospective effect is being proposed in the amendment. Hence, this Bill,” he said.

In the financial memorandum, Assembly’s Commissioner & Secretary Andrew Simons said that the additional expenditures will be involved from the consolidated fund of the State while implementing this amendment provision.

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Construction of Tura Medical College in progress

Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh has informed that the work for the construction of the Tura medical college is progressing.

ALSO READ: Meghalaya Govt to meet ADCs over proposed amendment to 6th Schedule

“We have about 45 per cent of physical progress. There are some problems (and) we are engaging with other nearby hospitals to ensure that we reach the mark of 450 beds as recommended by the MCI,” Lyngdoh told reporters.

She said that there were also certain problems with the availability of funds but that also has been sorted out.

The minister also announced that she will be visiting the construction site very shortly and said, “I am waiting for the model code of conduct to be completed quickly so I can begin to go on the ground to understand better but the Tura Medical College is progressing.

On the proposal to set up the Shillong medical college, Lyngdoh said that the government is yet to formulate a finalized approach and the matter has still to be taken to the cabinet adding that “but internal engagements are on”.

“We still require proper cabinet note to be sent proper projections to be made but yes Shillong medical college will probably change from the old proposal,” she said while adding that “We may have a PPP proposal as proposed earlier but not necessarily in Shillong but somewhere in this part of the state but all of this is being prepared now and it would be incorrect for me to divulge too much on that but one message which can go very clearly is that we are a concern and we are on the job and we will come up with a proposal and a plan at the earliest.”

When asked, Lyngdoh said, “We want these institutions to be materialized within the timeline that was specified. I know that yes we were told to institute one and it has been done in the Garo region yes we have to institute something in the Khasi region or the Ri Bhoi region as well that is we are on the job and on the pipeline but we cannot spell it out with full authority as we are still at a discussion level and we still looking at what is the best way forward.”

Two PDF legislators likely to merge with NPP

The two legislators of the People’s Democratic Front (PDF) are likely to merge with the National People’s Party (NPP) ahead of the adjourned poll to the Sohiong Assembly seat.

PDF working president and Mawkynrew legislator Banteidor Lyngdoh did not deny the rumour and said that they will discuss the issue at the right time and that there is nothing to write about.

He however admitted that talks are there to merge with the NPP. “Talks are there to merge with the NPP and we will take a call at the right time and let you know,” Lyngdoh said.

The PDF has two MLAs – Lyngdoh and PDF president Gavin M Mylliem, who is also Sohra legislator – in the current 59-member House.

Lyngdoh said he cannot say anything further as decisions will not be taken by him alone.

Meanwhile, two legislators of the Hill State People Democratic Party (HSPDP) – Shakliar Warjri (Mawthadraishan) and Methodius Dkhar (Mawshynrut) – have completely denied that there is any move to merge with the ruling NPP.

“There is no such move to merge with the NPP,” Shakliar maintained.

Meghalaya polls 2023: NPP leading in 23 seats

Shillong, March 2 (IANS) Conrad Sangma’s National People’s Party (NPP) is maintaining a lead in 23 seats as the counting of votes got underway on Thursday for the February 27 Meghalaya Assembly polls.

Compared to the two seats they won in the 2018 elections, the BJP is ahead in almost 10 seats, according to the early trends in counting.

While the Trinamool Congress is leading in 10 seats, the Congress party, which was the single largest party in Meghalaya in the last Assembly election, is trailing. The grand-old party is leading in only nine seats.

LIVE UPDATES: Meghalaya Assembly Election Results 2023

The other regional party, the United Democratic Party (UDP), has been projected to win six seats.

Notably, UDP was a part of the NPP-led government in Meghalaya for the last five years, although the party has not forged an alliance with the NPP and fought the election separately.