Even with campaigning over and voters casting their ballots, it was hard to escape the bitterness of the rival parties in the Shillong parliamentary constituency, especially between the National People’s Party (NPP) and Voice of the People Party (VPP).
It was a different story in the Tura seat, where the Congress Party and NPP chose to be encouraged by the high voter turnout, estimated at 78.06 per cent at 5pm.
State cabinet minister and East Shillong MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh of the NPP said after casting her vote that “one party” had left a “very bitter taste” in everyone’s mouth. Although she did not name the VPP outright, the implication was clear. The two sides have been going at each other without respite right through the campaign period.
“It is this one party that has left a very bitter taste. That is why I talk about corruption of the mind,” Lyngdoh said. “Gone are those days where the state of Meghalaya mutually respected all political parties. We are at that stage where there is one very aggressive party which is just trampling on everybody else’s opinions. That is something which we have to deal with in the state and I will try my best to ensure that we eliminate this negative politics that we are seeing.”
Lyngdoh was the only female candidate for the Shillong seat. This is also the first time that the NPP, hitherto dominant in Garo Hills, put its foot into the waters of the Shillong constituency.
Lyngdoh described her experience of campaigning across Khasi-Jaintia Hills as a very worthwhile one. She visited every one of the 36 Assembly constituencies that make up the Shillong seat and said she was always given a warm welcome.
Although the NPP has been in power in Meghalaya for the last six years, Lyngdoh maintained that she did not feel anti-incumbency was at play.
“I do not think the people are talking against the government. People have welcomed me with open arms whether or not they were my voters. There was much respect, much love, much expectation from all of the expressions that I encountered in my journey through all the 36 constituencies. I feel that that is what gave me the strength to continue on my journey. I never at any point of time thought that there was a rejection of my candidature and maybe that is the main motivation for me personally to continue on that journey and to complete it to the best of my capacity and capability,” Lyngdoh said.
Her VPP rival, Ricky AJ Syngkon, has never held elected office, though he did unsuccessfully contest last year’s Assembly election.
Speaking after voting, he expressed hope that the party’s hard work will not be in vain.
Syngkon also travelled to all 36 Assembly seats and described the people’s reaction as positive.
“So we look forward to positive results. As a party we covered all 36 constituencies to see with our own eyes and hear for ourselves the problems, expectations and aspirations of the people. We have seen a lot and as a party we will take up these issues,” he stated.
Concerning allegations of dirty politics levelled against the party, Syngkon said that it is the VPP that wants to correct this malaise in Meghalaya politics.
He also expressed disappointment how people with vested interests have gone about and spread false information about the party.
Yesterday, a day before the polls, the party was subject to a disinformation campaign that doctored a screenshot from a regional news channel to suggest that the VPP will join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance if it wins the election.
“The kind of politics that we have experienced throughout the years is unfortunate. We want to bring about change and we will bring that change and we look forward to something positive in the days to come,” said Syngkon.
In Garo Hills, Agatha, who is seeking a fourth term as Tura MP, said she was grateful to see such a large turnout of voters when she went to cast her ballot.
With the NPP being a key regional ally of the BJP, Agatha was all praise for the central government. “The core issues in this election are development and peace. When I say development, it also includes employment. Voters want the government to provide infrastructure and job opportunities and I feel that this government has fulfilled and delivered on these promises,” she said.
Like Lyngdoh, Agatha is the only female candidate in Tura and thanked all the voters, especially the women, for coming out to exercise their franchise.
One of the MP’s main rivals is Saleng of the Congress, who is opposition Chief Whip in the Assembly.
He said that he is “very much” optimistic about the results of the election (which will only be declared on June 4).
The Gambeggre MLA hoped that the people will “come out of their slumber” and see all that is wrong with the way the BJP and its allies are governing the country.
“People really need a change. Perhaps that is why they are really coming out to vote in large numbers. It seems that the people are more eager and enthusiastic to vote this time,” he said after voting “not for myself but for the people of Garo Hills”.
