The National People’s Party (NPP) is aiming for a double victory in the upcoming elections to the Khasi and Jantia Hills Autonomous District Councils (KHADC and JHADC).
Chief Minister and NPP president Conrad K Sangma today said that the party is working very hard in the run-up to the polls. Yesterday the NPP held a review meeting with its candidates and received a positive response. However, every election is different and difficult and the party is not overconfident, he maintained.
On anti-incumbency, which would be expected to hurt the ruling NPP, Sangma said that that factor is there for any government and cannot be avoided. “But if you look at the work that has been done by the KHADC, a large number of pending bills were cleared by this current EC (executive committee). So, therefore, one cannot say that we have failed miserably,” he added.
When asked if the Voice of the People Party (VPP) is the main threat to the NPP, Sangma demurred, saying that no party can be taken lightly.
“For us, all political parties are equally important. I have maintained from day one that for me, every single candidate and every single opposition party you contest against are there as our opposition. And it is incorrect for any of us as political leaders, candidates, or as a party to undermine anybody or overrate anybody. So for us, everybody, every single opposition is the same. All political parties, the Congress, the TMC, even the UDP, even our coalition partners, they’re all working very hard. I don’t think we can say that this is the main party; everybody is strong,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the NPP today announced its second list of two candidates for the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) elections to be held on February 21.
The candidates are Wanbiang Shadap Manar for Muthlong-Sohkymphor and Met Shylla for Tuber.
With 28 names now declared, the party has yet to announce candidates for Rymbai-Khliehriat constituency.
