SHILLONG, MAY 21: Pitching for a “government MP” in Delhi, NPP national vice president and Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar on Wednesday said Dr DRL Nonglait would be the “voice of the people of our Khasi-Jaintia land” if elected in the upcoming Shillong Lok Sabha byelection.
Speaking at a campaign meeting in Nongpoh, Dhar said feedback from Jaintia Hills strongly favored the NPP candidate.
“I hear from across the 7 districts of Jaintia Hills, I hear all of them saying that now it seems we must support Dr DRL Nonglait. Why? Because Dr Nonglait is a man of principle, he never speaks recklessly,” he said.
Dhar said Jaintia Hills has “over 3 lakh votes” and the party would work for a “respectable victory,” but added that “Jaintia alone is not enough.”
He appealed to Ri Bhoi and West Khasi Hills to back Nonglait, citing information that “it seems 85% will vote for Dr Nonglait because he is from that region.”
“I give you the assurance that from the party’s side we will work day and night, we will not sleep anymore, so that we can secure victory and complete whatever works remain pending with the Central Government,” Dhar said.
He said the party expects Nonglait to pursue key demands in Delhi.
“Through Dr Nonglait, we expect issues we have all longed for, like ILP, I believe Dr Nonglait will pursue and follow up on these matters most needed because all the youth of our land want it,” he said. ‘
Stressing unity, Dhar said, “I now see all the youth of our state need unity so that we can bring development. Unity is foremost so that we can move ahead with any mission and any aspiration of the children of our state; otherwise we will get nowhere.”
He added that “respect and discipline” were essential. “If we do not know how to respect one another, how will we build our community? If we do not know respect or discipline, or if we do not know how to conduct ourselves, our state will head to the wilderness.”
Taking aim at other parties, Dhar said, “There are some leaders of other political parties: some speak without knowledge, some explain beyond the limit of understanding, some come to deceive and lie to the public, and some agitate but do not know the principle for which they are agitating.”
“If our leaders are people who mislead the public, our state will head to the wilderness in the days to come,” he warned.
He rejected allegations of bias in development.
“I often hear and see on YouTube, they say NPP is very biased, that it brings development only to constituencies with its MLAs, but I say no, that is already wrong. This place where we are standing, this road we have just completed worth over Rs 60 crore, remember people, this constituency is represented by a UDP MLA, not NPP.”
Dhar said street agitations were not the role of elected representatives. “If we, your leaders, gather the public to lead them to the Secretariat, we are not fit to be politicians. Why did the people elect us? It is to speak in the legislature, in the Assembly, to flag and raise the issues that need to be raised.”
Listing projects, he said the foundation stone for the Umsning-Jaggi road costing Rs 240 crore plus would be laid soon.
He also pointed to the UG road already completed for nearly Rs 100 crore, the Mairang-Assam border road worth over Rs 230 crore – the biggest project from the special scheme, and the Lailad-Umling-Patharkhmah road at Rs 70 crore.
Defending the state’s borrowings, he said, “Any loan that the government takes already has laws and rules laid down by the Central Government. It does not mean the government can take loans as it pleases… The government belongs to the people. Even a single rupee matters a lot because it is the people’s money.”
He said the state budget had grown from “only a little over Rs 9,000 crore” in 2018 to “crossed Rs 30,000 crore plus” now. “When the budget grows, it means the income and welfare of your residents grow,” Dhar said.
Dhar praised Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, saying, “The Chief Minister, even though he comes from a small state, is a Chief Minister who protects Christians. Now everyone turns to him. If there are issues of Christians of Meghalaya, North East India, he is the first person who will knock on the door of the Central Government of India.”
