Shillong, Mar 19: Congress MP from Shillong Parliamentary Constituency, Vincent H. Pala said that the National People’s Party (NPP) and United Democratic Party (UDP) were being controlled by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the claim of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) that Jemino Mawthoh is the common candidate is only in papers.

“Be it the NPP or the UDP, they are remotely controlled by the BJP whose agenda is to ensure that Pala and Congress should lose in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls,” Pala told reporters on Monday.

Referring to the NPP’s decision to contest from all the 25 seats in the North East region, Pala said, there is limitation for the NPP (which has decided not to field candidate for Shillong seat) as they are ready to compromise and work together (with the BJP).

“The BJP thinks that if the party do not set up candidate, non-tribal voters will definitely vote for Pala,” he said.

Pala, who is seeking re-election for the third time, said that his fight this time will be against only two political parties – UDP and the BJP.

Expressing confidence to retain the Shillong seat, the Congress leader however said the claim of ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) that they have declared Jemino Mawthoh as the common candidate is “useless”.

“It is useless because like I said people will vote for the symbol. Donkupar Roy may sit together with Conrad K Sangma but the voters will not. Therefore, I am also confident that the (idea of) common candidate will remain only in papers and not in practice,” he said.

“Had they put up a common candidate it would have been difficult for me because with lots of anti incumbency being an MP for 10 years but looking at it as it is now I think there is no common candidate and that I should win (again),” the sitting MP added.

Asked, Pala admitted that the Congress was in power in the last two elections he contested and said, “But I feel election is election I don’t take it lightly and moreover whenever I meet people they told me that I still have a better chance to win this time too.”

Meanwhile, the sitting MP also highlighted the various issues taken up by him during the last ten years and appealed to the people of Khasi and Jaintia Hills to extend their support to him and the Congress in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, slated to be held on April 11.

On the issue related to the boundary dispute with Assam, Pala said no political party can claim they can solve the boundary dispute.

“Record will speaks for itself as whoever comes they used to say they will do this do that and solve the problem but I can only tell you that the border problem is very sensitive,” he said adding “I think what we should do is to educate the people to let us adjust to live peacefully in the border… that is my suggestion.”

The Congress leader also reiterated the party’s stand to scrap the Citizenship Amendment Bill.