We have had faith in the leadership of the Chief Minister since the day we decided to support the government… I believe we will stand by it…
– Methodius Dkhar, Cabinet Minister & HSPDP leader
Shillong, Sept 26: The Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP), an ally in the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government, has ruled out any threat to the MDA government.
In the wake of eight United Democratic Party (UDP) MLAs shifting sides to the BJP, there are reports circulating in social media about possibilities of further erosion in the coalition parties.
Responding to the speculations, HSPDP leader and Cabinet Minister Methodius Dkhar on Saturday said, “There are many narratives and considerable confusion among the people, with some suggesting that the government may collapse. I want to assure the people that the government remains strong.”
The MLA from Mawshynrut also reaffirmed the HSPDP’s support to the MDA government till the end of its term.
“We have had faith in the leadership of the Chief Minister since the day we decided to support the government. That decision was taken after a comprehensive discussion, and I believe we will stand by it until the end of the present term,” he said.
On whether the BJP’s expanded strength would give it greater leverage in the government, Dkhar declined to speculate, saying every party has its own aims and strategy.
The minister said he was satisfied with the functioning of the coalition and that sincere efforts were being made to improve the state’s economy and address sectoral issues.
“We joined the government with the objective of serving the people. We cannot claim that every problem has been resolved, but sincere efforts are being made by all concerned,” he said.
Dkhar added that the HSPDP would not dilute its ideology irrespective of its position.
“We will neither change nor compromise our stand. Whether we are in the government or outside it, we will continue to uphold our ideology and raise matters concerning the people and the state,” he said.
Governance is a collective responsibility and not dependent on one individual, he added.
