SHILLONG, JUNE 6: NPP leader and cabinet minister Rakkam A Sangma on Thursday claimed that only 50,000 of the 2 lakh vote share of the party in Garo Hills have cross-voted during the just concluded Lok Sabha elections.
Agatha K Sangma was defeated by Congress legislator from Gambegre Saleng A Sangma by a massive margin of over 1.55 lakh votes.
“From NPP’s vote bank, only 50,000 cross-voted. This is because of church issue, some had also made wrong videos. All these happened and people don’t know whether it is correct or not. However, we have to accept the mandate since people wanted to have a new MP,” Rakkam told reporters.
Stating that politics has crossed its limit, he said, “In Garo Hills there was one video made by some individuals where they edited the currency note of Rs 500 by showing one side Durga God and other side Ram Mandir and posted that NPP and BJP are going to reprint the money like this and will Christian give offering to God in the church? They made these kinds of videos and many people didn’t know this and people believed this.”
He also disagreed that Agatha has failed to perform as MP of Tura and said, “She has done marvellous things. She has raised the issues in the parliament. Maybe people wanted change. We have to accept the people’s mandate gracefully. People have voted for Saleng, we have to accept it,” he said.
Asked, the NPP leader said, “Even in Khasi Hills, just 50,000 voters cross-voted. Therefore, we are still strong and I think NPP will definitely come back.”
Further, Rakkam stated that both MPs from Meghalaya will be sitting in the opposition in parliament.
“Be it MP from Shillong and Tura, both will be sitting in the opposition. I don’t know whether they will be able to bring development and solve issues, that’s a different story,” he said. .
Referring to Vincent Pala’s decision to join state politics, Rakkam said, “(L) PA Sangma when he was MP he had vacated the seat and contested from Tura to become MLA. Maybe as MLA he can work better for the people.”
Also stating that Saleng may also come back to state politics, he said, “Saleng was MLA for 15 years. Now going for MP, he will see a new chapter of his responsibility. If he doesn’t enjoy it as Pala and PA Sangma did in the past he may come back to state politics to contest again.”
Meanwhile, Rakkam asked the newly elected MPs from Shillong and Tura to make the country listen.
“I wish Saleng all the best as people have voted for him with high expectations. I expect him to do (well) in parliament,” he said.
“Vincent pala failed to convince (centre on various issues). Now it is in the hand of VPP’s Ricky AJ Syngkon to convince parliament to fulfil aspirations of the state,” he said while adding “It is not loss of NPP, it is loss of Pala. Let time come, they have their own process, we also have our own growth. People have voted strongly for VPP but we will see how long it will last. If Syngkon really performed, the employment, security, ILP if he can do it, people read the progress report of every party leader – we can fool once but we cannot fool them twice.”
To another question, Rakkam said VPP is no more a demanding party, now they are also a responsible party, they have an MP its time for them to deliver now.
Read: UDP to Conduct Introspection Following Lok Sabha Setback
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