Leader of the National People’s Party (NPP) and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today said that discussions are underway with several political leaders on the proposed ‘One North East’ political platform, describing the initiative as desirable but complex.
Responding to a query on its progress, Sangma said the process of leaders coming together and working on a common platform is being actively explored. He noted that many leaders view the idea positively, though similar efforts attempted by various political parties over the past several decades have faced challenges.
ONE is being spearheaded by the NPP, TIPRA Motha of Tripura, etc to, ostensibly, present a unified voice for the North East in the corridors of power so that the region is accorded more importance by the central government and other quarters.
“We are trying to achieve something that, in many ways, has never been done before,” the Chief Minister said, adding that the process is not simple due to differing concerns, ideologies and operational aspects of various parties.
Sangma said discussions have been ongoing, particularly over the past 45 days, as previously indicated. While significant deliberations have taken place, he said it would not be appropriate to share details at this stage as no formal announcement has been made.
“All I can say is that we are in talks with many leaders and there is a lot of excitement around the idea,” he said, adding that decisions would be taken and shared at an appropriate time.
