Basaiawmoit accuses govt of failing to take action against village leaders for imposing on voters in Jaintia Hills

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 4, 2025

SHILLONG, MAR 3: Opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) and Nongkrem legislator chief Ardent M Basaiawmoit on Monday slammed the government’s failure to take action against village leaders in Jaintia Hills for allegedly forcing voters to support a particular candidate in the just concluded elections to the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC).  

Participating in the debate on the Governor’s Address, Basaiawmoit said he strongly objected to the statement mentioned in the address that the district administration and police have taken effective measures to ensure a peaceful conduct of the ADC elections.

“I strongly object to this statement on the pretext that a free and fair election was happening only in the KHADC jurisdiction but that was not the case in JHADC elections. I have been telling this and I’m going to reiterate my stand that had there been a free and fair election in JHADC, the VPP would have even captured the executive committee in JHADC,” he stated.

He also added, “As a party we have been inform about the kind of tradition, practices and the culture in Jaintia Hills where they have a kind of a culture that the village leaders will decide whom to support and these village leaders will impose on the voters in their villages that they should go for one particular candidate whom the village leaders, not the villagers but the village leaders.”

Basaiawmoit alleged that no action was taken by the district administration despite the fact that his party has registered all these highly sensitive polling stations.

Stating that JHADC had witnessed booth rigging in many polling stations, the VPP chief said, “I have with me few polling stations where you will think and ponder how this can happen, In Moolamanoh A polling station, out of 609 total valid votes, 593 votes goes to one candidates sponsoring by the village leaders and out of 604 in Moolamanoh B 589 votes went to the person sponsored by the village leaders. And in Wapungskur A out of 782, 656 goes to one person, sponsored and supported by village leaders and in Khliehriat East out of 780, imagine what kind of election is this? 778 goes to one person sponsored and supported by the village leaders and of 872, 862 again goes to the candidate supported by village leaders.”

“So where is the free and fair election?” he asked while further alleging that people were asked to surrender their EPICs to the village leaders.

“One of our polling agents in Nartiang constituency was abducted for many hours on that day and another fellow in Shilliang-Myntang constituency was taken by these opponents and they were about to throw him from the bridge. How can you say that there is a free and fair election?”

Further, Basaiawmoit said that his party will leave no stone unturned to ensure people of Jaintia Hills are getting the opportunity to exercise their franchise freely.

“There are many FIRs which has complain to the police department and I am telling you as the party who represent the Voice of the People, we will not sit idle, we will not leave any stone unturned, till the people of Jaintia Hills are getting the opportunity to exercise their franchise freely,” he said while adding “I am not asking to the chief minister of the state, not the Conrad K Sangma as an individual but as the chief minister of the state, he is the leader of the treasury bench, but he is also our leader and leader of the state, can he sleep peacefully, when he know that his people cannot excise freely their franchise in the state?”

Meanwhile, Basaiawmoit also expressed frustration as he was not given enough time to raise more issues.

“If this is the case that means we belong to this bench will have to sit quiet? Maybe from tomorrow I will just tie with a black handkerchief. There is no point as so many things and this address is 23 pages, how would it be fair for the members belonging to the opposition to get 10-15 minutes. In that case I stop Sir,” he said.