SHILLONG, AUG 21: NPP national general secretary and Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar has predicted the imminent decline of the Congress party in Meghalaya, asserting that it is on the verge of being “wiped out” from the state.
Speaking to Mediapersons on Wednesday, Dhar said, “It seems that it is going toward that (very soon, the Congress will be wiped out from Meghalaya).”
When asked whether the NPP has specific plans to dismantle the Congress’s presence in Meghalaya, Dhar clarified that it is part of the party’s broader strategy to strengthen its own position.
“We have not wind up Congress in Meghalaya but we are trying to strengthen our party, it’s the public who will wipe out Congress not we,” the NPP leader said.
Further, Dhar reflected on his decision to leave the Congress in 2017, stating, “It seems that it is going toward that (very soon, the Congress will be wiped out from Meghalaya). I switched to the NPP because I foresaw the Congress sinking, and my prediction was accurate.”
Dhar praised the recent shift of three Congress MLAs to the NPP, calling their timing “right.” He also extended an open invitation to Congress chief and former Shillong MP Vincent H Pala, saying, “If he (Pala) comes, he is most welcome.”
Addressing allegations made by Pala, Dhar remarked, “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 clearly stated that their decision was based on development, not the allegations.”
Dhar acknowledged the challenges the government faces in delivering development to all constituencies, admitting, “You see they are the legislators, they are for development as they have expressed very clearly in the media. Because maybe they are all senior politicians, they expressed very clearly also that they need development for the people so we would like to choose the right direction. Maybe they see the performance of the government is very good. That is one of the reasons for them to join the NPP,” he added.
Dhar admitted that the government cannot give enough schemes to all constituencies. He said, “We are trying as a government to perform our best. No constituency has got enough development but as a government we are trying to give development to all constituencies.”