Shillong, Dec 14: National People’s Party (NPP) national vice president and deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong on Wednesday said Meghalaya will go backwards if people vote in favour of opposition All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) in 2023.
Tynsong told reporters that he doesn’t see that the recent visit of the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee will improve the prospect of the AITC in the state. “(In fact) the visit of Mamata Banerjee will decrease the strength of AITC in Meghalaya,” he claimed.
When asked, Tynsong said a change will be there if AITC is voted to power and that change will be “we are going downward”.
“If people of Meghalaya voted in favour of AITC, then let me just assure you that means Meghalaya instead of going upward we will go backward. This will take place, no doubt about it,” he added.
He also said the AITC chairperson is yet to know much about the former chief minister Dr Mukul Sangma. “Madam Mamata Banerjee did not know much about Dr Mukul Sangma but Prestone Tynsong knows everything about Dr Mukul Sangma. Eight years in the chair and all the press media knew him very well,” he said.
On Banerjee’s claim to resolve the boundary dispute if voted to power, the NPP leader said, “Who said that? Oh Mamata Banerjee? Where is she staying? Is she staying in Meghalaya or is she staying in Assam? You see again, she is the boss of the AITC ultimately, she has to say that but let me tell you again, until and unless both the states agreed mutually nobody can do anything be it AITC, be it madam Mamata Banerjee, be it the honourable PM of India, be it anybody; we need to have a close understanding between both the governments and that is Meghalaya and Assam.”
He also ridiculed the allegation of the AITC chief that the MDA government had not done anything for the families of the victims killed in the November 22-Mukroh firing incident and said the Chief Minister and the entire cabinet had visited the village and extended all necessary help to the families of the victims including their medical reimbursement.
“Of course, the question of increasing the ex-gratia is there. I think the government is examining this very seriously because not only Rs 5 lakh may be more than that but I can’t say right now as the concerned department is still working out on this,” Tynsong said.
He however said he cannot give any assurance on the demand to provide government jobs since the political department has been asked to work on it.
