SHILLONG, JAN 31: NPP leader and cabinet minister Marcuise N Marak on Wednesday said that the opposition Congress is a party, which has been totally forgotten by the people of the state as they no longer have any good leaders with them.
“Therefore, it will be very tough for them (Congress) to come up to the level where they have been before,” he said.
Congress is fielding Gambegre legislator and opposition chief whip Saleng A Sangma against NPP’s Agatha K Sangma.
“We welcome and it will be a good fight because Saleng Sangma is a sitting MLA. So being a sitting MLA definitely he will have some ground with him. So we are ready to fight,” Marak said.
The NPP leader said that he does see Saleng A Sangma as a threat to Agatha’s candidature adding “The reason for that is with Agatha, the government is there and government has already performed (well)… so therefore, we are hoping to get the mandate from the people. We are trying our level best to be with the people and to deliver what the people are demanding”.
Asked about the BJP, Marak said that the saffron party is not being accepted by the people of the state.
“We have seen in the last assembly elections, they (BJP) were two and they became two again. Therefore, we can come to the conclusion that it’s not acceptable in our state,” he said.
Marak further said that BJP MDC Bernard N Marak’s candidature for the upcoming LS polls is also not acceptable in Garo Hills districts. “He (Bernard) was there in Tura for some time and as MDC he fought there and we have seen his results also during MLA elections. So therefore, no question of getting disturbed from his candidature,” he said.
Meanwhile, the NPP leader said TMC’s leader and former chief minister Mukul Sangma has lost his charm as a leader and cannot be a threat to the sitting MP of Tura, if he decide to contest the LS polls.
“Well, his (Mukul) charm also has gone down. Therefore, we don’t find any threat with him also,” he added.