Shillong Apr 1: Meghalaya Chief Minister and NPP national president, Conrad K. Sangma on Monday campaigned in Garo Hills for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls by using helicopter to cover maximum locations in his bid to drum up support for former Union Minister, and NPP candidate, Agatha K. Sangma who is contesting from Tura Parliamentary constituency.

Sangma campaigned in North and East Garo Hills districts in three different locations which include Rongrong Abema, Mangsang and Chibonga.

Addressing election rallies, Conrad made an emotional chord with the electorates as he shared the dreams of late Purno Agitok Sangma of championing the cause of the indigenous people of the Northeast.

“For MP election, the people of Garo Hills have always kept the interest of tribesmen as the key agenda. This time also, it is not any different. The people of Garo Hills have united to show their solidarity to NPP. The wave of our party is felt across the region be it in plain belt area of Phulbari, Rajabala or in the hills of Baghmara and Chokpot,” he said.

Reiterating that the party would continue to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill in near future, the NPP Chief said, “Meghalaya was the first state in India to oppose the Bill and raise its objection. We took the initiative to unite different political parties of the Northeast and made our voice heard in Delhi and ensured that the Bill lapsed in the Rajya Sabha.”

He reminded the gathering that people across the Northeast is eagerly waiting to see the mandate for NPP as they believe that the party can deliver and push forward the agenda for Northeast.

While stating that the Congress party is propagating a wrong notion that NPP will partner with BJP and that the CAB will be passed in the Lok Sabha, Sangma said, “We will remain true to our commitment, and promised to the people of Northeast and will never allow any bill that would hamper the interest of our people.”

“The Congress is aware that they are not coming back to power. So they are saying that NPP will partner with the BJP. The Congress party is well qualified from the University of lies, so they will continue to lie the people,” he said.

Conrad said that Congress is trying to fool the people with lies that the Garo National Council (GNC) is supporting the Congress, and that NPP leader Nihim D. Shira has also joined the Congress. “The GNC and Nihim have clarified their stand and the lies of the Congress have been caught. So they have no other option but to create and propagate wrong notion, but I am confident that the people of Garo Hills will not buy their lies.”

He asked the electorates to make Congress candidate Dr. Mukul Sangma accountable by asking if during his tenure as Chief Minister whether he did not work with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “He (Mukul) is saying that NPP is working with BJP, yes we are working with the Centre to ensure development, and he did the same. So if NPP-BJP is same, Congress and BJP is also the same.”

He said that state and centre has to work in coordination to ensure development.

Conrad told the electorates that during the last one year, the MDA government maintained a cordial relationship with the Centre and has been able to bring funds for initiating welfare and development in the State. He said that during Mukul’s regime, Meghalaya was accorded merely 150 crore under PMGSY, which was upgraded to 1500 crore.

He said that the NPP has fulfilled its promise made in the 2018 election with education as its top priority. “We had promised education policy and we brought out the policy well ahead of completion of one year. For over four decades the education department had to work without any policy or direction. We have scripted a direction to move forward to ensure better educational facilities in Meghalaya,” he said.

The MDA government also approached the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and was accorded 11 Eklaveya Residential Model School (ERMS), out of 50 Schools across India as they were well aware that Meghalaya is focusing to ensure better education facilities for its children.

The Chief Minister also told the gathering in different locations that the MDA government has been working to ensure that promises made during the last election are fulfilled.

“If Agatha K. Sangma is elected as MP, she will add to the initiative started by the MDA government and will voice our concerns in Parliament. During my tenure as MP, I tried my best to ensure that welfare schemes for Meghalaya were sanctioned. Though it was difficult as I was from different party, but I could manage. Now, the almighty has given us an opportunity to elect an MP from the same party, and we should not miss this opportunity,” the NPP leader said as he urged the voters of Garo Hills to repose faith in the NPP.