Admitting that the National People’s Party (NPP) suffers from a negative image in the minds of at least some people, cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said that the party must address the issue as soon as possible.
Although the NPP won 26 seats at the recent election, 18 of these were in Garo Hills and four in Jaintia Hills. On the other hand, the NPP failed to win a single seat in West Khasi Hills, Eastern West Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hills, just two in East Khasi Hills and two in Ri-Bhoi.
Lyngdoh, returned as MLA for East Shillong, though with a smaller vote share, is one of those NPP success stories in East Khasi Hills.
Speaking to reporters after being sworn-in as a cabinet minister, she said that the government must address issues and it is time that it pulls up its socks.
“In my personal opinion, we need to make sure that issues that have been flagged by the people should be addressed one after another,” Lyngdoh said. “We have seen in Khasi Hills, the fragmentation of mandate is worrisome and now across the board, all political parties have unanimously decided to take this forward, we cannot afford to slow down the development and progress of the state.”
Another new cabinet minister, Rakkam A Sangma, meanwhile denied that there had been any scams during the first Meghalaya Democratic Alliance administration.
The Rongara Siju legislator said that people can say anything without providing evidence but the question of curbing corruption in MDA 2 does not arise as there was none during MDA 1.
