Shillong, Aug 3: State Congress Party leader Manuel Badwar has criticised Mylliem MLA Ronnie V Lyngdoh’s justification for joining the National People’s Party (NPP) – namely development – calling it stupid.
Lyngdoh last week quit the Congress and immediately joined the NPP. He had been the last surviving Congress MLA in the Assembly – three others had early defected to the NPP.
The Mylliem legislator claimed to have joined the NPP because it is bringing development to the state and being in the ruling party will help his constituency and constituents.
Badwar criticised this line of thinking, emphasising that India’s federal structure ensures that states receive their share of revenue, regardless of the ruling party.
Calling it “stupidity of the highest order”, Badwar warned that such actions would lead to a situation where people would question the government’s motives, adding that it is a crime to suggest that development is only possible by being part of the ruling party.
The Congress leader alleged that the NPP government is only interested in benefiting its own constituents, rather than working for the entire state and this approach has led to the poor getting poorer and the public suffering.
Badwar blamed “meaningless politicians” for Meghalaya’s lack of good policies in areas like health, education and industries. He stated that the public is learning a lesson from these developments, realising that their elected representatives are more interested in personal gain than serving the people.
He concluded by saying that these developments are not a sad day for the Congress, but rather a sad day for the public, as politics in Meghalaya has become cheap and focused on power, money and personal interests.
