Although the fight for the Shillong Lok Sabha seat largely revolves around the loud voices of four political parties, there are two individuals taking their vision for the state to the people and are asking for their votes on April 19 – independent candidates Lakhon Kma and Peter Challam.
While so much of the campaigning has involved ugly mudslinging, Kma, an academic, has been campaigning on a positive vision to lift Meghalaya up from the bottom position that it finds itself in development indices.
“I will stand for the poor and needy in rural areas and will take the voice of the people, particularly of the Shillong constituency, to Delhi,” Kma said. “I want to ask for help, protection, development and funds because the state lacks in all indices of development.”
Although not tied to a powerful political party, he opined that the public will look at the candidates irrespective of party affiliation.
Friday’s election is not to create a government in the state Assembly but to choose one person who will represent the people in New Delhi and if things do not change now, Meghalaya will lose out over the next five years and by the time of the next election it may be too late to bring overall development to the state, Kma opined.
“I will echo the aspirations of the people on the floor of Parliament. I think that my campaigning process is going excellently and wherever I go I’m getting good responses,” he added.