Shillong, Apr 1: National People’s Party (NPP) chief and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said on Monday that his party has never compromised on issues that are in the interest of the nation.
“The NDA and NPP’s relationship is a decade old, and it is a strong one. We have faced many challenges, but when it comes to the interest of the nation, we have always prioritized our people,” Sangma said at an election meeting seeking support for the NPP candidate for the Shillong Parliamentary Constituency at Jhalupara in Shillong.
He emphasized that the NDA and its partners are united in the ensuing Lok Sabha election because they all believe that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India will become the biggest economy in the world.
“India will be the world’s third-largest economy by 2028 and will be developed by 2048. This vision of the Prime Minister has united all of us, and we have come together to support each other in achieving the goal of a developed India,” he added.
Speaking about the NPP regime in Meghalaya, he said, “In the last six years of our governance in the State, we have faced many challenges, but we have managed to overcome them and have embarked on a mission to take the State forward. In 2015, the budget of our State was Rs. 7000 Cr, in 2018 it was Rs. 9000 Cr, and today the budget of our State is Rs. 27000 Cr, which has increased fourfold.”
Discussing political stability for good governance, the NPP chief told the gathering that Meghalaya has seen very few stable governments, and NPP and its partners have ensured political stability in the State, leading to accelerated growth and development.
“Our opponents said that our coalition would last for 2 months, then 6 months, then a year, but we managed to successfully complete our full term. In 2023, the people of Meghalaya reposed their faith in us, and we managed to form the government, and we shall successfully complete this term as well,” he said, adding, “After a very long time, there is political stability in Meghalaya, and we have many things to do for the State and its people.”
Regarding the law and order problem in the State, he said, “On many occasions, we have been confronted with law and order issues, but we have managed to maintain it. We have diverse communities in the State, and it is not easy to keep everyone together, but we have ensured to keep the interest of our people and have managed to deliver positive governance.”
During a fierce speech, the Muslims were offering Adhan in the nearby mosque, and Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma paused until the Adhan (Azan) was completed.
On the New Shillong township, he said that before the election, the NPP-led government had announced Rs. 10,000 crore for developing roads, water supply, administrative, and knowledge city in the new Shillong township. “In the next four years, Shillong will witness a complete transformation,” he added.
Urging people to vote for the NPP candidate Dr. M. Ampareen Lyngdoh, he said, “Kong Ampareen is the best candidate to represent us in the parliament. She will speak on behalf of our people. The NDA government is coming to power in the center, and it is important that we have NDA candidates elected from our State. NPP in the State and NDA in the center will enable us to work in coordination and ensure development for the State.”