As the opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) looks set to stretch its wings in Garo Hills, cabinet minister and NPP member Rakkam A Sangma has admitted that it will pose a challenge to the hold of the National People’s Party (NPP) there.
“The wave that they created in Shillong, maybe that has encouraged them to expand to Garo Hills,” Sangma told reporters.
The VPP created a buzz during last year’s state polls, though it only won four seats in its first election. However, this year it swept the vote for the Shillong Lok Sabha seat (which covers Khasi-Jaintia Hills) by winning an absolute majority and trouncing all opponents.
So far, though, it has kept itself to Khasi-Jaintia Hills but is apparently aiming to take its anti-corruption and anti-establishment message to Garo Hills, which is a bastion of the NPP.
Sangma said that many Congress Party and Trinamool Congress leaders are already in talks to join the VPP in Garo Hills.
Welcoming the move of the opposition party to make inroads in Garo Hills, he recalled that in 2012 people used to refer to the NPP as a ‘Garo party’ but this has changed now that it has representation in every area of Meghalaya.
“It all depends on how leaders inspire people and the VPP will have to prove to the people about the wrong thinking of some people,” he added.
