Shillong, Jan 11: HSPDP president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit took a dig at former legislators especially those from the Congress who have resigned as member of the Assembly and joined the National People’s Party (NPP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“If they (former Congress legislators) are saying that they have resigned because they do not like the style of working of the present chief minister then they should have resigned four years ago,” Basaiawmoit said while addressing at the UDP public rally held here on Thursday.

The HSPDP president also took out a video clipping that has gone viral in social media where the former Congress minister Prestone Tynsong had praised the chief minister Mukul Sangma by calling him a “true leader” at the inaugural function of civil sub-division in Pynursla last year.

“In fact it is these same legislators who have empower the chief minister and who have defended him in the Assembly,” Basaiawmoit said while referring to the no-confidence motion moved by the opposition members.

He also urged the people of the state not to accept such leaders, who in the name of “love for the Jaidbynriew (community)” are trying to fool voters.

On the claims that the NPP’s wave is strong in the state, Basaiawmoit however said that but as per inputs received, people in Garo Hills are saying that they do not want to support the NPP as it is working together with the BJP.

“The NPP is an ally of the BJP-led NDA government at the centre and here they are trying to fool the people that they are having no connection with the BJP,” he said.

Basaiawmoit further expressed confidence that the regional alliance will form the next government in Meghalaya stating that people have had enough of Congress “misrule”.

“The Congress is dwindling and it is no longer a stumbling block as we had expected. I am confident that no one can stop the aspiration of the people now which is to have a government led by the regional force in the state,” he said.

Meanwhile, the HSPDP chief also accused the ruling Congress of buying votes with the government funds under the Meghalaya Livestock Mission.

“The Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and the Congress is trying to woo voters by misusing the Livestock Mission which is a government scheme,” he said.

He alleged that the Congress is using its candidates to implement the said scheme adding “This is no different from distributing money to voters before the elections.”

“However I appealed to the people of the state to accept the scheme but their votes should go the candidates of the regional parties,” Basaiawmoit stated.

Earlier, UDP sitting JHADC MDC and also candidate from Jowai constituency Moonlight Pariat said that the leaders of NPP in Jaintia Hills are exaggerating that the crowd attending the recent rally at Wahiajer is much more that the one held in Polo ground.

“How is it possible that a crowd of 20,000 had attended the rally on the road at Wahiajer when the NPP had put up only 10,000 chairs in its rally at Polo ground,” he said.

He urged the people not to be afraid of the NPP’s wave as it is only a created wave and will not have any impact in the upcoming Assembly polls.

“Do not worry about this created wave of the NPP because ground reality is that there is no wave at all,” he said.