TMC to announce candidate for LS polls soon

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Feb 16: The opposition All India Trinamool Congress has decided to soon announce its candidate from the Tura parliamentary seat for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

“I think by tomorrow or latest by Monday, we will be declaring the candidate for Tura,” TMC leader and former chief minister Mukul Sangma told reporters today.

He however said the party is still talking as far as the Shillong seat is concerned.

Sangma said, “We have been engaging in this dialogue within the four walls though as far as the INDIA Bloc is concerned. It has taken its own time but then subsequently, you have seen how things have unfolded and therefore, most of the constituent parties in the INDIA Bloc have decided to go solo and then put up their own candidates.”

“So in as far as Meghalaya is concerned, we waited patiently and indications were that negotiations were still on but it appears that it may not come to fruition so therefore, we have two seats, the only decision is whether to fight both the seats or not. But then from our side, we have always maintained that we would like to fight one seat and let the other be fought by the other parties and let there be some effort to put that collective endeavour since we share the common objective of taking on the current dispensation but then things will be finalised in a couple of days,” he added.

Further, Sangma said that he does not intend to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha poll.

“I don’t want to reduce the number in the House of 60 in as far as the Assembly is concerned.

I am for state politics. It is a small state though but then issues confronting the people, confronting the state require collective endeavour of all concerns. Therefore, I started my innings with the sole intention of focusing on state politics in 1993 and I continue to do so,” he said.

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.”

Mukul denies meeting BJP leaders

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 15: Opposition AITC leader and former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today categorically denied meeting any leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“Has he (Ernest Mawrie) met me? Or has Dr Mukul met any of them? Please ask them. Okay, their politics does not probably happen without my name that is a different thing. Please ask them, don’t ask me,” Sangma told reporters.

He was reacting to the recent claim made by State BJP President Ernest Mawrie that Mukul Sangma was denied entry into the BJP by the party’s senior leaders in Delhi.

The former CM said he has seen such reports being circulated without asking him.

“I would have been happier if at least friends from the media would have given me an opportunity to comment before carrying such stories,” he said.

Meanwhile, the former chief minister said he is studying the whole political dynamic of the State before deciding their future course of action. According to him, this was necessary because of the outcome of the 2023 Assembly polls where the AITC managed to win only five seats in the 60-member House.

“Therefore, it is necessary for all of us to have an exhaustive due diligence of the overall political dynamics that have unfolded and the way it is going to be unfolded in the years to come and how we will navigate through this kind of situation, navigate for what, Navigate for ensuring that our objective which revolves around serving the people with the utmost sense of commitment and dedication and honesty and give the best that we can,” he said.

Sangma said there are reasons for people like us to feel concerned and worried because we had the privilege along with many of the leaders of the State to participate in collectively building this State.

“And if things are not going the right way and there is a need to look at all ways and means as to how to ensure that okay we do justice to the desire expectation of the people as everybody wants to have a good life, everybody wants to ensure that their children have a better life and how we can actually ensure that this kind of hope can be generated and they will see it happening. If people are feeling a little apprehensive of their future I think then there is a reason for us to really be concerned and see that we start looking how steers the State in the right way so that its future is better,” he added.

The AITC leader said that he is more concerned about creating that sense of oneness in the State of Meghalaya than joining other political parties.

“If Meghalaya can be a State where everybody has a sense of well-being, Meghalaya is vibrant, progressive and prosperous and you as a State are capable of contributing for the growth and prosperity of the nation so charity begins at home. I am more concerned about this beautiful State of Meghalaya where we need to create that sense of oneness,” he said.

Questioning the failure of political parties in Meghalaya to create this sense of oneness, Sangma said, “Has any political party been able to create this sense of oneness. I am afraid I am not seeing it. So there is a big challenge before us. So you can understand the burden on me as to what must be going on in my mind. Do you subscribe to the kind of environment that has unfolded in the preceding months? Do you want to see these kinds of similar things where everyone thinks my future is at stake? No, we don’t want to see that. Everybody should have that sense of hope where they see that the future is going to be better and when this can happen I think we are on the right path but at the moment this is not happening so we will have to make it happen.”

Meanwhile, sources in the party have indicated the possibility of Sangma floating a new political party in Meghalaya. However, the picture will only get clearer after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Sohiong residents flag inconsistencies in fund release

Claiming that they have not received funds from the Special Rural Works Programme (SRWP) scheme 2018-2022, a section of the residents of Sohiong constituency have demanded an answer from former MLA Samlin Malngiang as to why this situation has come about.

Speaking to media persons, John Wankhar claimed that many residents of various villages under Sohiong constituency have not received funds, despite their names having appeared in the list of beneficiaries.

Wankhar informed that after receiving complaints from villagers, a group of residents had sought RTI report from the CRD Block Office Sohiong in June 2022 on the number of beneficiaries benefited from the SRWP scheme 2018-2022.

“As per the RTI report received on 12 July 2022 from the CRD Block Office Sohiong, till date there are 15 individuals or families from various villages who have not receive any funds under the SRWP scheme 2018-2022 despite their names have appeared in the list of beneficiaries” alleged Wankhar.

Wandalin Khongsit, a resident of Kharlakhar village who had accompanied the group said that her name had also appeared in the list to receive Rs.10,000 for the implementation of SRWP scheme but till date the fund was never accredited to her account.

Khongsit said that all beneficiaries of the SRWP scheme 2018-2022 was supposed to be given Rs.10,000 to Rs.20,000 but till date there are 14 individuals or families who have not received the fund despite their names having appeared in the beneficiaries list.

“As a group and personally I have visited the CRD Block Office Sohiong and have enquired about the non-release of funds meant under SRWP scheme 2018-2022 but till date, we have not received any positive response” said Khongsit.