Jowai, July 22: NPP candidate for Shillong Lok Sabha bye-election Dr DRL Nonglait have sought the voters’ support, arguing for electing a candidate from the ruling side to the Parliament.
“If you want the government to listen, elect an MP from the ruling side,” Dr Nonglait said while addressing an election campaign meeting at Ummulong in West Jaintia Hills on Tuesday night.
He stressed that Meghalaya needs stable governance and urged voters to consider the effectiveness of their MP in Delhi.
Pointing out that an MP’s job is to make laws and introduce Bills, he said, “If it is an official bill brought by the ruling side, everyone will support it.”
However, in case of an opposition MP, he will have to bring a private member bill, Dr Nonglait said.
“Can one person alone make it a law? No. One person standing alone in Parliament cannot make a law,” he said.
He argued that key state demands, including inclusion of the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule and implementation of the Inner Line Permit, have the backing of all political parties in the state.
However, he said, achieving them depends on who represents Meghalaya in Parliament.
Meanwhile, the NPP candidate expressed the hope for securing a “distinction” from Nartiang constituency as he lauded the turnout at Ummulong.
Comparing the 36 assembly constituencies under Shillong seat with that of 36 “papers” for him in an exam, Dr Nonglait said this is the toughest course he has taken so far.
“As a teacher I used to count the number of papers in an exam. This MP election has 36 papers, and one of them is the 1-Nartiang paper. From 1-Nartiang I expect to get a distinction,” he said.
He also expressed hope for strong support from Jowai constituency.
Praising the MDA government as “a government that works,” he said, “In these 8 years of governance we have seen the transformation of villages and towns,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Nonglait also flagged growing challenges faced by youth and families despite development, and said governance must focus on livelihoods and peace in society.
