Shillong, Apr 8 (Representative) Former Meghalaya Minister and senior Congress legislator, Dr. Celestine Lyngdoh on Sunday took a jibe at BJP, saying that the party has shied away from contesting the two Lok Sabha seats from Meghalaya, which would ensure that the Congress nominees will win both the seats without much effort. “BJP not fielding candidates in both the seats is working in favour of the Congress. Non-tribal voters in Meghalaya always look either for the Congress or the BJP when it comes to Lok Sabha elections. In the absence of the BJP symbol in the EVMs, it is by nature for them to go and shift to the Congress. Therefore, we are sure that Congress nominees will win,” Lyngdoh told UNI. The BJP, a constituent of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government is supporting the National People’s Party’s (NPP’s) nominees Agatha Sangma for Tura parliamentary and lone woman cabinet Minister Mazel Ampareen Lyngdoh in the Conrad Sangma ministry for Shillong seat. The NPP is a constituent of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre and also part of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA).
Vincent H Pala of the Congress is seeking re-election for the fourth consecutive term from the Shillong seat while sitting Congress legislator in Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Saleng Sangma is contesting from the Tura seat. “Everywhere people talk about the Congress and in some areas they say the fight is between Congress and the VPP (Voice of the People Party) and in some areas they say the fight is between the Congress and NPP (National People’s Party). But never in any area will people say that the fight is between the NPP against the VPP. Therefore, we are confident of retaining the Shillong Lok Sabha seat and also winning the Tura seat,” Lyngdoh said. “Moreover, we are confident because of the recent election speech made by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma telling the people that voting on NPP’s symbol, the Book will go to BJP,” he said. Voicing confidence that the Congress candidate Saleng Sangma would defeat Agatha, the youngest sister of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma in Tura Lok Sabha seat, Lyngdoh said, “There is a Congress wave in Garo Hills. We are getting positive vibes from the people and they wanted a new leader to represent them in the Lok Sabha.”
“The general public in Garo Hills has been discussing why they should vote only from the same family for many decades now. The people of Garo Hills wanted a change, they wanted to give others a chance and they see the opportunity in the candidature of Congress candidate Saleng Sangma to be their voice in the Lok Sabha,” he said. Tura Lok Sabha seat has been represented by the family of former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno Agitok Sagma for 14 terms. Conrad Sangma, the youngest son of Purno had represented the Tura seat after the demise of his father in 2016 and Agatha won her first Lok Sabha election in 2008 and was re-elected in2009 and 2019 Meghalaya has two Parliamentary seats – Shillong and Tura. The Shillong parliamentary seat spreads over 36 Assembly segments, covering Ri-Bhoi, Khasi-Jaintia Hills, While Tura seat consists of 24 Assembly segments in the entire Garo hills region.