Shillong, August 17: The Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Prestone Tyngsong along with NPP candidate Mr. Martin M. Danggo on Friday visited Rangthong to seek the mandate of the people for the by-poll of Ranikor constituency to be held on 23rd August 2018.
Addressing the rally, he said that it has always been the policy of the party under the leadership of Mr. Conrad Sangma to never indulge in mudslinging or negative campaigning during elections. The party stands for positivity and fairness and it fights elections based on principles and issues that concern the common people.
Mr. Prestone Tynsong was drawing attention to a recent newspaper report that came out in some local papers about a leader from a political party who branded Mr. Danggo a “defector”. He clarified that under the Constitution, an MLA who resigns from his post to re-contest the seat is ‘not’ a defector. Mr. Danggo cannot be called a defector because he first resigned from the post of MLA and from the Congress party and then joined the NPP.
Mr. Tynsong also dismissed claims by the same leader that Mr. Dango was ‘tempted’ to join the NPP because of the granting of Ranikor civil sub-division. He said that Mr. Danggo sacrificed the seat for the sake and betterment of the people of Ranikor constituency.
He recalled that in 2013 Mr. Danggo’s opponents called for his defeat for failing to get Ranikor a Civil Sub-division. But today those same opponents are calling for his defeat because of the flimsy reason that the by-election is causing an inconvenience to the people. He went on to elaborate that the Ranikor civil-sub division is a blessing to the people of the region because it will bring the government closer to the people.
Talking about agenda of the NPP under the leadership of Mr. Conrad Sangma, Mr. Tyngsong said that various projects are already on the anvil to further improve infrastructure and livelihoods of the people of the region which includes the SARDP road project and the re-opening of border haats.
Ex-MLA of Ranikor constituency and NPP candidate Martin M. Danggo recounted the struggles that he undertook to get the civil sub-division for Ranikor when Dr. DD Lapang and Dr. Mukul Sangma were chief ministers of the state. Despite numerous requests and prayer, both of them refused to consider the case for many years.
In desperation, he and his party workers decided to approach Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to demand for the civil sub-division for Ranikor this year. Taking into consideration the genuine needs of the people of the constituency, the MDA government under the leadership of Mr. Conrad Sangma granted the request.
He said he resigned from the post of MLA as a mark of gratitude to chief minister Mr. Conrad Sangma and because he believed that NPP is the only party that can bring real development to the people of the region and the state as a whole.
The rally was attended by NPP state president Dr. W. Kharlukhi, Minister of Industries Mr. Sniawbhalang Dhar, Williamnagar MLA Marcuise N. Marak, Mawshynrut MLA Gigur Myrthong and MDC of Sohryngkham Pyniaid S. Syiem.
