TURA (MEGHALAYA): With choppers frequently flying with politicians, convoys of vehicles zooming across the landscape and youth carrying out motorcycle rallies, the Garo Hills has virtually become the battleground for ruling Congress and opposition National People’s Party (NPP) in Meghalaya where Assembly elections are scheduled for February 27.
The Garo Hills accounts for 24 of the state’s 60 seats and is the power centre. Both chief minister Mukul Sangma of Congress and NPP chief Conrad Sangma, who is the son of the late P A Sangma, hail from this western part of Meghalaya.
For the Sangmas, a good show here holds the key to power. People in Meghalaya have traditionally voted for Congress and the Garo Hills is no exception. The fight in Garo Hills this election is poised between Congress and NPP, a party that has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years.
The Congress’s focus on the Garo Hills can be gauged from the series of rallies which party chief Rahul Gandhi addressed in the past two days. The NPP is not far behind with Conrad going on a chopper ride spree to address at least six rallies a day.
The NPP is the Congress’s principal rival in this election but, ironically, the Gandhi scion’s barbs had been directed more towards the BJP. The saffron party does not have a single MLA and is only trying to grow in this Christian-majority state. Its poll prospects took a beating following the Centre’s introduction of new cattle slaughter rules which the Garos perceived as an intrusion into their kitchen.
The margins of victories in most seats in the Garo Hills have been very narrow, yet the locals believe the Congress leads the race.
“The Congress will win most seats. The NPP will be a close second. A factor that might go against NPP is its alliance with BJP in (non-Congress conglomerate of political parties) North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA),” said Rajesh Arengh of Tura.
The Congress has fielded the highest number of candidates with 59 followed by NPP (53) and BJP (47).
“Log pareshaan ho gaye hain iss sarkar se (people are fed up with this government),” Conrad claimed.
“…It (log pareshaan hain) is across the board. The issue of leadership has led to a lot of resentment within Congress and it disintegrated the party to a great extent. We will surely see a change, for people are for change. I strongly feel we have been able to present ourselves as an alternative at the state level. People in Khasi and Jaintia Hills have also started accepting us,” Conrad claimed.
However, Congress MP Vincent H Pala made light of Conrad’s rhetoric. “The people in Meghalaya have always voted in favour of Congress and they are going to do the same thing this election,” Pala asserted.
Retaining power in the hill state is a prestige issue for the Congress which suffered the defections of seven MLAs in the state in the past two months. There was a time when most states of the Northeast were ruled by Congress. Now, Meghalaya and Mizoram are only the two states in the region where the grand old party is in power.