The People’s Democratic Front (PDF) on Saturday formally merged with the National People’s Party (NPP) by signing a merger document.
Highlighting 11 point conditions, the PDF expects the state government under the leadership of Conrad K Sangma will fulfill all its demand mentioned in the merger document.
The merger document was also signed between NPP national chief and chief minister Conrad K Sangma and PDF chief Gavin M Mylliem in presence of NPP national vice president Prestone Tynsong, NPP general secretary Sniawbhalang Dhar and PDF working president Banteidor Lyngdoh.
The PDF has two MLAs, Gavin M Mylliem (Sohra) and Banteidor Lyngdoh (Mawkynrew), in the Assembly.
The merger has increased the NPP’s strength to 28.
The PDF in the document had urged the NPP to implement the roster system prospectively and to ensure immediate implementation of the ILP in the state.
It has also urged the ruling party to resolve the border issue with Assam, inclusion of Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule, formulation of an agriculture policy.
The PDF also urged the Government to implement of a properly monitored Employment Generation Policy and the setting up the Commission on Employment Generation. Beside this, a Transparent and Effective Recruitment Policy is also demanded.
To review the Meghalaya Minor Minerals Concession Rules 2016, solving Drug menace, Drastic improvement of Power availability in the State by 2028, apart from that, the PDF also urged the Chief Minister to improve the air connectivity.
Welcoming the two MLAs and leaders of the PDF, NPP national chief Conrad K Sangma said, “Today is the wedding ceremony but let me tell you that the love story started long time back. For the last five years, we have been romancing and that is simply because we get along and we see things from the same perspective, we have the same goals, ideas and visions for our people and our state.”
Sangma said that the NPP is one of the six national parties in the country and the beauty of the NPP is because it is the only party from the North East which is made by the states of the North East to be a nationally recognized party.
“And most probably in the history of the country I don’t think there is any other political party in the North East that have held this position of being a nationally recognized party,” while adding “And it is a party that believes in the indigenous people of the region, a party that believes in bringing the North East together, a party that believes that we must put our voice and give a platform for the people of the region to be able to take up issues at the national level because nobody at the national level cares too much about the North East. Until and unless we combine, we come together and work together, we will never be heard and this is the basic principles on which today the NPP is working and I am happy to tell you that we are finally seeing results.”
“I am excited that today with the joining and the merging of the MLAs, senior leaders and members of the PDF, it will only make us (NPP) stronger. I am so exciting to work with you because I see the capacity that you have and I see what you can do not just for your constituencies but what you can do for the state, for the region and for the country,” he said.
The NPP chief assured the PDF to work together to achieve all different points mentioned in the merger document.“We are on the same page and let me assure you that we will work together to ensure that we are able to achieve all these points mentioned in the document. I can assure you that we will definitely take care of all these issues.”
Sangma also announced that the process of reorganizing the party at all levels is going on following the merger. “We will be restructuring immediately the block committees of both Sohra and Mawkynrew constituencies and necessary steps will be taken so that we will be able to come up with a committee and we are able to take everybody along,” he added.