Meghalaya voters often base a lot of their choice of MLA on the candidate rather than the party and that could be a boon for the Trinamool Congress, United Democratic Party (UDP) general secretary Jemino Mawthoh said today.
Mawthoh expressed doubts about whether the TMC could really be accepted by Meghalayans, especially by voters in Khasi-Jaiñtia Hills, though the standing of individual figures, like Dr Mukul Sangma, could help convince the electorate.
“I’m not sure whether the people will support the TMC or not but the nature of politics in Meghalaya is such that people also vote for personalities,” Mawthoh said. “For a political figure like Dr Mukul Sangma, who has been an MLA for a long time, if he wins the election in 2023, we won’t be able to say whether it is because of the TMC or personality factor.”
No matter the case, the Dr Sangma-led split away from the Congress and into the arms of the TMC has been a help to the UDP, he opined. The Congress has now been reduced to a rump of five legislators, all of which are in Khasi-Jaiñtia Hills.
Mawthoh also said that fractured mandates in past elections have negatively affected the progress and development of Meghalaya.
“We would like to emphasize the unity and stability aspect because if we have a party with an absolute majority or coalition with like-minded parties with a common agenda then that will make a whole lot of difference,” he stated.
