This is just a beginning, says Ardent Basaiawmoit
Shillong, Feb 24: The fast-growing Voice of the People Party (VPP), which has delivered another shocker in state politics by winning as many as 25 seats in the autonomous district council (ADC) elections, has ruled out any post-poll alliance with any political party, but welcomed only “unconditional support”.
“We will work alone and if others want to support our EC (executive committee) they are welcome to do so but there will be no post-poll alliance with any political party,” VPP supremo Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit told reporters on Monday.
“We would welcome only unconditional support not conditional support,” he added.
Fighting the election first time, the VPP won four seats in the 2023 assembly elections and further shocked election pundits by grabbing the prestigious Shillong Lok Sabha seat in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The VPP emerged single largest party by winning 17 of 29 seats in Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) in ADC election, results of which are declared on Monday.
The party managed to win only 8 out of 29 seats in the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC).
“I am happy that we are able to come out victorious despite the challenges we faced during the elections where we are accused of being against the rangbah shnong and media persons, besides fighting against money power,” said Basaiawmoit, known as a hardliner in state politics.
“We are happy that people understand because we only want to ensure clean governance and our fight is never against the rangbah shnong or media persons. Therefore, we thank God and we thank the people for giving their mandate. This is just a beginning,” Basaiawmoit said.
On the party’s next move regarding JHADC, Basaiawmoit said, “We are not thinking of having any post-poll alliance. We will meet as leaders of the party and we will take the right decision.”
Meanwhile, the VPP chief alleged that use of “too much muscle power” has affected the party’s performance in Jaintia Hills region.
“I am not happy because people in Jaintia Hills are not getting to participate in a free and fair election in many villages. This is the main reason why we were not able to come out as the single largest party in JHADC,” he said.
Stating that VPP does not worry much about “money power” he said, “But the muscle power has affected us so much in which the dorbar shnongs are threatening… there is no free and fair election.”
He also alleged that not a single police personnel was deployed in polling stations identified by VPP as “highly sensitive”.
Failure of district administration to take action has led to incidents of vandalism in the four polling stations in two constituencies in East Jaintia Hills district, he said.
