Meghalaya Assembly polls: Congress, NPP counter each other over “who works with whom”

Shillong 10 Feb: The Congress and National People’s Party in Meghalaya countered each other on Saturday on the issue of “who works with whom.”

In a statement issued here on Saturday, the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) accused the NPP of lying the people that it has no link with the BJP.

The MPCC’s statement quoting Shillong MP and working president, Vincent H. Pala said, “NPP Meghalaya president, W.R. Kharlukhi either has differences of opinion with NPP national president, Conrad K. Sangma or is clearly trying to hoodwink the people of Meghalaya with an eye on electoral gains into believing that NPP is not hand in glove with the BJP.”

Pala said, while Kharlukhi stated that the NPP would not have post-poll alliance with the BJP or any other parties, Conrad did not rule out post-poll alliance with the BJP or other parties.

“This proves either Kharlukhi is lying or Kharlukhi and Conrad are not on the same page,” Pala said, adding that Kharlukhi had gone overboard by denying that the NPP has no political nexus with the BJP.

According to Pala, Kharlukhi did not have any answer as to why the NPP sided with the BJP in Manipur and helped them formed the government there.

The MPCC statement also said that while Kharlukhi preferred Bihar chief minister, Nitish Kumar as the next Prime Minister instead of Narendra Modi, Conrad on the other hand went all out to praise Modi and has termed the NDA government “excellent.”

“While trying their level best to distance the NPP from the BJP, their actions however spoke louder than words,” the MPCC statement added.

Meanwhile, Kharlukhi while countering the Congress said, “Who are they to dictate us? They are different political party and we are different political. They go their own way so also we. What right do they have to order us”

“I wanted to reiterate that in the past too, during the Congress-led UPA government, when we were with the NCP and Agatha K Sangma as Union minister we had worked with the Congress in Delhi. We were NCP then but same people are with the NPP now. That is why, working with the Congress-led UPA in Delhi, does not mean that we are Congress or we believe in its ideology as we fight against the Congress in Meghalaya that time too. Yes we are part of NDA today, but it does not mean NPP is also BJP. We are fighting the BJP in Meghalaya in this election too,” Kharlukhi countered.

Kharlukhi alleged the Congress that they had also worked together with the Communist before, despite knowing the negative track record of the Communist.

“In Europe, the communist had collapsed because of their track record against Christianity. Do the Congress mean to say that whatever done by the Communist, the Congress was also doing the same thing? They have been working with the Communist, CPI and CPI-M, and by saying that the NPP is also BJP, we also tag the Congress the same as Communist,” Kharlukhi rebuffed.

Kharlukhi said, “that is why, supposed Nitish Kumar became the PM in 2019, we will also work with him and the Centre for the development of the state. We required the Centre’s support and we will work together for the benefit of our state.”

Kharlukhi alleged that the Congress has ruled Meghalaya for many years but they did nothing for the development of the state, and the state has to depend on the Centre.

“For instance, in eight years of Mukul Sangma as chief minister, Meghalaya ranks bottom on various sectors. The know that they would be defeated by us (NPP) in this election and we may say, that is the last straw which Mukul is trying to catch before getting drowned. We will see the results on March 3 and it is clear that the Congress is not coming to power anymore. That is why, they spread false propaganda because they have no genuine issues to tell to the people,” Kharlukhi added.