Khliehriat, October 6: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) on Tuesday organised a public meeting at Ladrymbai Dongwah in East Jaintia Hills district as part of its campaign for the Shillong Parliamentary Constituency by-election.
The meeting was attended by VPP president and Nongkrem MLA Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit, JHADC MDCs Gresentus Susngi and Deiwi Tongper, East Jaintia Hills District VPP president Damewanhi L. Rymbai, party leaders and workers from Jaintia Hills, besides local residents and supporters.
Addressing the gathering, Basaiawmoit urged voters to exercise their franchise wisely and cautioned against the use of money and misinformation during elections.
He said that such practices were contrary to Christian values and questioned the significance of identifying Meghalaya as a Christian-majority society if electoral processes were influenced by money and falsehoods.
Responding to allegations that the VPP would seek to prohibit traditional religions and indigenous beliefs if it came to power, Basaiawmoit said no individual could be forced to adopt Christianity. He maintained that the VPP’s objective was to replace parties with what he described as a different political ideology and, if elected to power, work for the development of the state.
Basaiawmoit also criticised recent remarks by Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong regarding the VPP’s strength in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. He said a political party requires 31 MLAs to form the government and argued that the VPP’s decision to raise issues publicly should not be viewed merely in terms of its present numerical strength in the Assembly.
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He further referred to the recent political developments involving the United Democratic Party (UDP), which, he said, had declined from 12 MLAs to four following the reported movement of eight legislators to the BJP.
Basaiawmoit also raised allegations concerning the recruitment process, claiming that candidates were being asked to pay money to clear the District Selection Committee (DSC) examination and alleging links between such activities and people in positions of influence. He did not provide specific evidence for the allegation.
Meanwhile, East Jaintia Hills District VPP president Damewanhi L. Rymbai said the party currently has eight MDCs in the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) and occupies the Opposition benches, making it one of the major opposition groups in the council.
Rymbai urged the public to continue supporting the VPP despite the political challenges facing the party.
He also criticised the recent movement of eight UDP MLAs to the BJP, alleging that the legislators had betrayed the mandate given to them by voters.
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According to Rymbai, the legislators had previously promised to facilitate the reopening of coal mining, which he described as an important source of livelihood, particularly in East Jaintia Hills district.
He questioned why coal mining had not been reopened if the legislators were now part of the ruling government and cabinet. Rymbai alleged that the promise to reopen coal mining had been used primarily to secure political support from the people.
The VPP leaders appealed to voters to support the party’s candidate in the Shillong Parliamentary Constituency by-election.
