SHILLONG, APR 24: National People’s Party (NPP) leader and cabinet minister Rakkam A Sangma has said the April 19 Lok Sabha elections was an “unexpected tough fight” even as he expressed confidence that the party will win both Shillong and Tura parliamentary seats by a very thin margin.

Counting of votes will be held on June 4.

Speaking to media persons, Rakkam said, “We have had an unexpected tough fight in Garo Hills as well as in Shillong parliamentary constituency.”

“However, with God’s grace, we are expecting to win by a small margin and NPP will send back madam (Agatha K Sangma) to Delhi (after the elections),” he said.

Asked the reason behind his prediction, Rakkam said, “This is because all Trinamool Congress (TMC) voters have supported Congress candidate (Saleng A Sangma, who is also Gambegre MLA) for reasons best known to them.”

He alleged that the TMC has given up the fight during the recently held election and that is why most of the TMC voters have voted for Congress.

Stating that misusing of religious sentiments was also a matter of serious concern during the elections, Rakkam said, “Even the church has been carried (away), some people, I don’t think but however there are some church people have carried out with the propaganda being speak in the election time but I don’t think so the sound doctrine church leaders, sound Christian believers will not go with that, with all these things happening because they will go what the scriptures say. There are many misleading misinformation propaganda has been carried out against certain parties, certain individuals forgetting the sound doctrine the church should have. So this is a matter of concern.”

Whether BJP has played a spoilsport by extending support to the NPP, the cabinet minister however said, “I don’t know how far this is true. For example, I don’t know BJP did not put up the candidate for Shillong and Tura. In the last MLA elections, BJP got 90,000 votes from TUra. If truly if they support (us), the 90,000 voters should have gone to NPP (and it) would have been a blessing but I don’t know whether that happened or not so rather BJP did not put up candidates the reason is best known to them.”

He also recalled that during the 2023 MLA elections, the campaign by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in Tura did not have any impact in Meghalaya.

“Knowing all this, the BJP must have decided why spend our time and resources unnecessarily where we are going to lose, therefore, they did not put up any candidate. Therefore, they have instructed their cadres to vote for the NPP but I don’t know whether they have voted or not. If BJP voters voted for NPP we may be winning easily but I don’t know whether they voted or not, I don’t know whether they supported in letter and spirit or not. However, the opposition took the advantage to mislead, to misinform the people about this and this is something not correct and not a good sign in the future,” Rakkam added.

Terming the Shillong parliamentary constituency as a prestigious seat, Rakkam said, “Whoever is winning as MP I give my best wishes. To me Shillong is a prestigious seat and Shillong knows which party or which candidate should be sent to Delhi as Meghalaya we don’t have resources. Whoever comes to power, whoever will be the MP, whether it is NPP, BJP, UDP, VPP or any party Meghalaya able to run the government with the mercy of the Central government as we don’t have any resources so whoever will be the MP, should be able to connect with the Central government to bring development and take up issues.”

“I don’t know for Shillong, we are keeping our fingers crossed but still we are expecting and I wish NPP should win Shillong seat so that it will bring more development and more connection with the central government because there will be no better candidate no better party to connect with the centre government than the NPP for Meghalaya,” he added.

Also Read: ABVP Meghalaya Demands Justice for Brutal Assault Victims of South West Garo Hills

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