SHILLONG, AUG 22: Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar on Wednesday did not rule out more defections from other parties into the NPP fold indicating that other MLAs have also approached his party.
“Some of them (MLAs) are approaching us so we are still examining it,” Dhar told reporters, while declining to disclose details of the fence sitters and their political affiliation.
“But some have approached us and they are most welcome if they come to join us,” Dhar said while dodging the question if such MLAs are from the opposition TMC and VPP.
A total of five MLAs have merged with the ruling NPP during the past 2 years. These include two MLAs – Gavin Mylliem (Sohra) and Banteidor Lyngdoh (Mawkynrew) – from the People’s Democratic Front (PDF) and three Congress MLAs – Gabriel Wahlang (Nongstoin), Charles Marngar (Mawhati) and Celestine Lyngdoh (Umsning), who recently merged with the NPP.
On NPP being alleged as a master of poaching, Dhar said that the party does not practice horse trading at all.
“You cannot do horse trading with MLAs. You can do that with animals but not with people or MLAs. MLAs are elected by the people, they are respectable people,” he said.
He cited “development” as the main reason for MLAs’ keen to change parties.
“Maybe they want more development. It is as simple as that. Development is for all but you know very well when they are in the government they get a little bit extra you never know. That is politics but as a government that is not the mindset, we always try to give equal development for all constituencies.”
Congress wipe out prediction
Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar gave a prediction that the opposition Congress would soon be wiped out from Meghalaya.
“It seems that it is going toward that (very soon, the Congress will be wiped out from Meghalaya.”
A former Congress leader himself, Dhar justified his decision to quit the Congress in 2017 predicting its collapse.
“Why I switched to the NPP is because I knew the Congress will sink and my prediction was good and maybe I am right,” he added.
‘Pala welcome to join NPP’
The NPP leader said his party is ready to welcome Congress chief and former Shillong MP Vincent H Pala to join its fold. “If he (Pala) comes, he is most welcome.”
On Pala’s allegation that NPP is using illegal money to poach the Congress MLAs, Dhar said, “You can ask from his own party MLAs, who have recently joined us. I am not the right person to speak on that. That is his (Pala) allegation but their MLAs have expressed very clearly on the day of joining that their decision was mainly based on development.”
“They saw the performance of our government is very good. That is one of the reasons for them to join the NPP,” he added.
