Countering criticism that the Trinamool Congress is an “outsider” party in Meghalaya, MP Mahua Moitra said the party has every right to contest elections from anywhere in the county, when parties like the BJP and the Congress with headquarters outside the state can.
“Some people are spreading rumours over WhatsApp and other platforms about TMC. But the Congress headquarters is in Delhi. Congress Chief Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge is from Karnataka. It is okay for Congress to contest election in Meghalaya. It is okay for BJP [to contest elections] whose headquarters is in Nagpur and Delhi. Their chairperson and leaders are from Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh,” she said at an election rally in Dalu to drum support for party candidate Sengkal A Sangma today.
“When all these parties can contest elections here, why do they have a problem only with Trinamool Congress?, she questioned and asserted that the AITC is a national party just like the BJP and Congress and the party has the right to fight elections everywhere.
Moitra said the TMC is fighting the elections in Meghalaya under the leadership of Dr. Mukul Sangma, who is the “son of the soil.”
At the rally, the parliamentarian slammed Chief Minister Conrad Sangma for poor condition of roads in Tura she said that the corrupt government must be taught a lesson for failing to bring development in Meghalaya.
“If somebody told me that the house of the Chief Minister of Meghalaya is in Tura, I wouldn’t believe it because of the poor condition of the road leading to Tura from Rajabala. There are no proper roads from Tura to Dalu. The people who have to travel regularly suffer due to the poor state of the roads here,” she said.
Moitra said Mahendraganj MLA Dikkanchi D Shira’s road tender was cancelled by the NPP government. “If tenders get cancelled, how will the road be constructed? NPP government failed to provide the money for the maintenance and repairing of the roads constructed during her previous tenure.”
Emphasising on Trinamool Congress Chairperson Mamata Banerjee’s vision of women empowerment Moitra said, “After Mamata Didi came to power, she has tirelessly implemented women-centric schemes. She has worked to reduce the female -dropout rates and constructed proper toilets in the schools along with sanitary napkin vending machines. Children are now being provided with uniforms, books, stationery, and even food at the schools to ensure that the students coming from the poor families can continue their education.”
