SHILLONG: With the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections approaching, the NPP has sought to project the cracks within the Opposition ranks and a divided political front in Garo Hills as an advantage for the ruling party. Salmanpara legislator Ian Botham K. Sangma has claimed that both the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Congress are facing internal divisions, with more Opposition leaders likely to join the NPP in the coming days. Pointing to the recent defection of three TMC MDCs to the ruling party, he asserted that the NPP remained united under the leadership of Chief Minister and party national president Conrad K. Sangma.
“You have seen the cracks in TMC as three MDCs of GHADC joined NPP recently and in Congress, in days to come more more leaders from Congress will join NPP, yes I think there are cracks in Congress and TMC,” Ian Botham K. Sangma said. He attributed the Opposition’s divisions to competing leadership ambitions, arguing that several leaders were seeking prominence within their respective parties. “The opposition has too many leaders and there are so many people who want to be the leader in the front. That is why I feel they are divided,” he said.
Projecting the NPP as a cohesive political force ahead of the district council elections, Sangma credited Conrad Sangma’s leadership and the government’s development initiatives for strengthening the party’s position in Garo Hills.
“Opposition is very much divided into Garo Hills, the advantage is there for us as NPP is stand united under the leadership of NPP chief and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and he is working very hard. He has done lots for the development of Garo Hills and people are seeing real development taking place in Garo Hills,” Sangma said.
He maintained that the party would remain united and contest the elections collectively. “The national People’s party is United and very strong in the ground, when the election comes we will stay united and fight.”
On preparations for the GHADC elections, Sangma said the party was awaiting the announcement of the poll schedule and would intensify its campaign once the dates were declared.
Asked whether the induction of the three TMC MDCs would lead to changes in the NPP’s candidate list, he said no decision had been communicated so far and that the matter would depend on the party leadership.
“So now, we, you know, there’s no such a information yet. So, once our Leader, Um, We will say something to us, You know, it will depend on that Okay,” he added.
