Shillong: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, his Deputy Prestone Tynsong and several other prominent politicians from across party lines filed their nomination papers across Meghalaya, on the fifth day of the election process Saturday.
Sangma, also the President of the National People’s Party (NPP,) filed his nomination papers from the South Tura assembly seat before the Returning Officer, Saljong R Marak at Tura, the district headquarters of West Garo Hills while Tynsong filed his nomination at the Deputy Commissioner’s office here in the state capital.
Emerging from the Returning Officer’s chamber, Sangma, also the President of the National People’s Party (NPP), voiced confidence that his party would get an absolute majority. The majority mark is 31 in the 60-member Assembly.
“There is a positive wave for the National People’s Party, and the opposition is disintegrating day by day,” the Chief Minister told reporters.
“In this political scenario, the trend shows that the NPP is heading towards getting an absolute majority, and we are confident about it,” he added.
In the last elections, Sangma polled 13,656 votes and defeated his Congress rival CW Momin by 8400 votes. His main political rival this time is Bernard Mark of the BJP – a former militant turned politician.
“We are moving ahead with the development work we have done in the last five years. The fact that the foundation has been laid, it is time to take things forward to the next level and the continuity is important to ensure that we’ll be able to achieve those goals,” the Chief Minister said.
Rubbishing Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mukul Sangma’s allegation of racial comments made by him against the party, the NPP Chief said, “I have said that it is (TMC) an outsider party based on the analogy where Mamata Banerjee herself has said in the last West Bengal elections that BJP and other national parties are outside parties. I have said that if the same yardstick is applied to Meghalaya, then with those yardsticks, which Mamata Banerjee has herself mentioned in her speech in elections, then TMC is an outside party. There is nothing racial about that comment.”
The Chief Minister asked TMC leader Mukul Sangma, who is contesting from two seats – Songsak and Tikrikilla, to worry about himself as his chances of winning from either seats are slim.
On the other hand, Tynsong also exuded confidence that the NPP would get an absolute majority and rubbished projections that the elections would present a hung assembly with no party getting an absolute majority.
“We will come out victorious and we will cross the magic number on March 2,” Tynsong said, adding there is an NPP wave in the state and people would be able to realise it when the election results are declared on March 2.
He further said that he doesn’t agree with TMC leader and former CM, Mukul Sangma contesting from two seats. Mukul is contesting from Songsak and Tikrikilla constituencies.
“The constitution doesn’t allow a legislator to serve two constituencies, so he would abandon one of the seats if he wins both and that’s unfair on the electorate and I don’t agree with that kind of principle,” he added.
