Campaigning for the Shillong parliamentary seat election, held on April 19, was fierce and descended into worrying levels of vitriol and lack of mutual respect, cabinet minister Kyrmen Shylla said today.
Shylla, of the United Democratic Party (UDP), said that it was concerning that political opponents held little respect for each other during campaigning, with “hate politics” becoming prevalent.
The Voice of the People Party (VPP) was often in the crosshairs of rival parties as they sought to counter the obvious wave the party was experiencing ahead of the polls. In response, the VPP would give as good as it got and was accused of disrupting other candidates’ rallies.
“If I speak evil against my opponent it shows that I’m perfect but we all know that we’re not perfect,” Shylla told reporters today. “That’s why I feel respect for each other is of utmost importance, not only towards the candidate but towards the public as well.”
Urging opponents or aspiring candidates to refrain from hate politics, Shylla said that parties campaigned, often aggressively, and some resorted to mudslinging. “But what saddens me is the spreading lies just to gain sympathy and votes to win elections,” the MLA for Khliehriat said.
