SHILLONG (MEGHALAYA):In matrilineal Meghalaya, two influential women organisations have warned political parties against horse-trading.The people in this politically-unstable state have always lived with coalition governments. The prospects of a fractured mandate yet again this election has left the two organisations worried.
Thama-U-Ranglijuki (TUR) and Civil Society Women’s Organisation (CSWO) asserted that they would not allow the sale of elected representatives this time around.“We want this message to go out that we will not allow Meghalaya to go the Manipur-way. Horse-trading will be a betrayal of people’s mandate. The civil society in Meghalaya will not allow this to happen,” said TUR chief Angela Rangad.
CSWO chief Agnes Kharshiing told The New Indian Express that she had no doubt about post-election horse-trading.“There will definitely be horse-trading. People do not vote for an individual to allow him to get sold off. I just hope the political parties and politicians refrain from horse-trading. We will oppose it in whatever way we can,” Kharshiing said.