Cabinet Minister and NPP candidate for the Lok Sabha election from Shillong seat, Ampareen Lyngdoh said that if she got elected in the polls she along with sitting Tura MP Agatha Sangma will create a ruckus in the Lok Sabha on the issue of Inner Line Permit (ILP).
“Believe me they have to make a decision. I can tell you one thing: we will not only speak in the House, we will create and generate a ruckus on this agenda,” Lyngdoh told media persons during an interaction with media persons in the NPP office here today.
She said that she had read all the discussions the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government had with the stakeholders and read the report thoroughly and that she knows what was said then.
“We will follow through on the ILP agenda with the same spirit. We cannot move away from what was discussed with the stakeholders,” the NPP candidate added.
Lyngdoh also said that the agenda of the NPP to fight the Lok Sabha polls are to consolidate on a vote bank for the party in Shillong Parliamentary seat, carry forward all agendas and issues that have been left pending for quite some time which could be well handled by the MP in the event of a win, cut across party lines even as she added that if she could do that on behalf of the party it will be a privilege and honour for her.
When asked what are those issues left pending, she specifically mentioned that in Shillong seat there is always this feeling that an MP is distant from the people unless he and she holds a post in a coalition government.
“But that perception has to be corrected with regards to the Shillong parliamentary seat. We must remember to look at Madam Agatha (Sangma). She is doing a very good job rallying on behalf of all projects in the northeast. She is rallying on behalf of ensuring that whatever the agendas that are specific to Tura parliamentary seat. So we need to break this perception,” Lyngdoh said.
According to her, MPs are valuable individuals who can speak loudly on behalf of the State not only in the parliament but also liaising between departments.
Lyngdoh said that if given an opportunity to represent the Shillong Lok Sabha seat she would be that person.
It may be mentioned that Vincent H Pala of the Congress has been representing the Shillong Parliamentary seat since 2008 and Agatha Sangma of the NPP is the current Tura MP.
When asked to rate the performance of Pala, the NPP candidate said that she wouldn’t like to do so and added that she will “meet the person on the turf”.
“We are going to be contenders for the post of MP. I will say what he did or didn’t do. Let the people themselves evaluate,” she said.
Lyngdoh also said that she wants to fight the Lok Sabha election to dispel the myth that the NPP is synonymous with the BJP.
According to her, the NPP has its own identity even as she added that the party is not going to be subverted by any ideologues which are averse to the people of the State.
“We are NPP, we are members of the NDA and it is absolutely no harm to be coalition partners with the NDA. Pretty much many other parties in the state of Meghalaya are also members of the NDA. We need to dispel this myth and I will go forward and tell the people of Meghalaya not to be gullible,” she added.
Lyngdoh also said that the fact that the party has conscientiously taken a call to allow two women candidates to represent the two MP seats of the State speaks volumes.
“We do not want to harp on that both Madam Agatha and I do not necessarily link to gender. Nevertheless, since we are women we want to show the people of Meghalaya that this party is tolerant to the things to come,” she said.
Lyngdoh added that the 33 per cent reservation of seats for women will be reality and the party wants to show by example.
