Shillong: Meghalaya minister and candidate of the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) from Shillong parliamentary seat, Ampareen Lyngdoh has vowed to work hard in seeking support by cutting across party lines, trying to garner support of women, young people and have balance views of religion.
Lyngdoh said this while speaking to reporters on Thursday before launching her campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls likely to be held between April and May, 2024.
She said that the NPP is very clear, firstly, to consolidate on a vote bank for the party in Shillong parliamentary seat and to carry forward all agendas and issues that have been left pending for quite sometimes, which could be well handled by an MP in the event of a win.
“We need now to cut across party lines and if I can do that on behalf of my party, it will be a big privilege and an honour for me. These are the three main agendas to take the NPP flag forward,” Lyngdoh said.
How she rated the performances of sitting MP of Shillong, Vincent H Pala, Lyngdoh said, “I am not here to rate anyone. I will meet that person on the turf. We are going to be contenders for the post of MP. I will not say what he did, what he didn’t do, let the people themselves evaluate. I am here with an agenda of the party and we stick by that and we dispel the myth that we are synonymous with BJP. NPP has its own identity. We not going to be submerged by any ideas or ideologies which are averse to the people of the State.”
“We are NPP, members of the NDA and there is absolutely no harm to be coalition partners of the NDA. Many other parties in Meghalaya are also members of the MDA. We need to dispel this myth and I will go forward and tell the people of the state that do not be gullible, do not pass the buck. So we are going to dispel all of this and we are going to work hard and we are going to focus on that agenda.
Asked how she would reach out to other partners of the MDA, Lyngdoh said, “I am going to work hard, cut across party lines, try to garner support of women and young people, try to have balance views on religion. All religions are equal in the State of Meghalaya. We should take that forward and we should not say that X, Y, Z parties are linked to this and that. We will work hard to make sure that it is dispelled in these elections.”
On the NPP’s idea to field both women candidates from Shillong and Tura Lok Sabha seats, Lyngdoh said that the party has consciously taken a call to allow two women candidates to represent the two MP seats of the state of Meghalaya spoke volumes.
“Both Agatha (Tura MP) and I do not necessarily link to gender. Nevertheless, because we are women, we have to assure the people of the state of Meghalaya that this party is a party which is tolerant to the things to come. We already said that 33% reservation will be a reality. Now we want to show by example,” she said.
The NPP had supported UDP candidate in the 2019 Lok Sabha Polls from Shillong but now they are contesting against each other.
“That time (2019) was a different situation. Now it is a different situation so it is time for us to have our own candidate,” Deputy Chief Minister, Sniawbhalang Dhar said.
Lyngdoh also said that the NPP has matured over the years and in the last 2023 legislative assembly elections, the NPP has the higher votes share. “We are now well positioned in politics of the state of Meghalaya. We want to cash in on that. Our candidates if they were defeated in the last Assembly elections, were defeated by very small margins. There could be many factors that decided on win or loss of an NPP candidate, but the vote share is large. We are now matured enough as a party to have our own candidate and it does not matter who’s fielding whom. We will fight this cutting across party lines.”
On comments and perceptions that NPP and other parties of the MDA government are “anti-Jaitbynriew” (anti-Khasi), Lyngdoh said, “that is a perception which needs to be broken immediately. We will go to the people and remind them of the patterns of their votes, remind people that we will not be swayed by the social media which is already generally very bias. We go ahead with a positive note. Therefore, I am here to make sure that as a person, as an individual backed by leaders and workers, spread this message across the Shillong parliamentary seat. What are my strategies and what my party is going to do to strategise, time will tell you. We cannot tell you what our plans are, but be sure we have a plan in place and it shall evolve with time at the right moment.”
Lyngdoh, whose father, late Peter Garnette Marbañiang was the then MP from
Shillong parliamentary constituency, praised abou the legacy of her father as an MLA and MP.
“I am a person who have been vocal and focus and I will continue to do that with an effort to popularise the party that has made me an MLA this time and made me a minister this time. I am so honoured and that is why my family stands solidly behind me, my husband, the MDC, Dr Jasmine, sister Sharon, my children. We are very honoured that the people remembered my late father and 27 years have just gone, we tend to get a little emotional, but I will have to carry that forward. That is a big task for me to actually begin to understand because my father was known as the person of the people. I have to start there which is a basic thing. I have to follow his footsteps very keenly. I cannot do anything different,” she added.
Lyngdoh said that she would be seen and talked about just as much as her father and late brother was talked about. “It is going to be difficult. I am preparing myself to climb Mount Everest and I am happy that I belong to a party like the NPP that has all the necessary backup to make sure that they work along with me. So it will be an honour and privilege for me to bring my father’s memory back into conversation.”
