NPP felicitates newly elected MLAs, CM says winning 2 Assembly seats a ‘sweet victory’

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 5, 2021

National People’s Party (NPP) national party and Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday said the just concluded bye elections was a ‘sweet victory’ for the ruling party. 

Addressing the felicitation programme of the newly elected party MLAs from Mawryngkneng and Rajabala – Pyniaid Sing Syiem and Abdus Saleh – and Mawphlang candidate Lamphrang Blah at the NPP office, Sangma said, “It was a very sweet victory for us because both these constituencies were not the NPP’s constituencies, they were from the opposition and it is not easy for any party to be able to capture constituencies which are not yours. Not only Rajabala even Mawryngkneng have never been a constituency where the NPP has won. In fact in both the constituencies NPP has been in third or fourth position everytime.”

Stating that this is again a mandate for the government, the Chief Minister said, “Inspite of all the negativity that the opposition has tried to bring in people have seen through it, people have realized that these are all fake and false information and people have voted in favour of the government. It also clearly reflecting that the people are happy with the work that is going on but obviously it means much more has to be done.”

He also agreed that the NPP must be humble by this victory and not be proud or feel that it has achieved the greatest. 

“It was a huge challenge, it was a very sweet victory, we must be humble by this victory, we should work harder for the party and as a government to ensure that we continue to be committed to the people of our state, we continue to be committed to the issues that matter to our people, we work sincerely and dedicatedly,” he added. 

The chief minister also congratulated and assured both the newly elected MLAs that the state government will support and do its best to “ensure that we are able to do whatever we can in this very short time of one year and four months.”

He added that one and a half years may look very short but if one work hard it is more than close to 500 days. 

“So there’s a lot of work we can do in 500 days,  so let us try and not lose out even one day and start the work we are supposed to do for the people of Mawryngkneng and Rajabala and the state as a whole,” Sangma. He also congratulated Mawphlang MDC Lamphrang Blah who had also given a good fight in the just concluded Mawphlang bypoll and in a very short time managed to garner over 5,000 votes.

The Chief Minister also thanked the leaders of the different political parties who have supported the NPP candidates. 

In his speech, Saleh said he is very proud to be a member of the NPP which is leading the state government.

“The NPP government is so blessed and as a result we are here standing before you as MLAs. I have seen the huge support for NPP in Rajabala from where the party has never won – as people have seen the difference between the development during the Congress time and now after three years of NPP government,” he said while predicting that the NPP will win majority of seats in 2023 Assembly elections. 

Syiem on the other hand urged the Chief Minister to again visit the constituency and emphasized the need for the government to fulfill the aspiration of the people of Mawryngkneng so that “we can retain the seat in 2023.”

“We are committed to work hard for the interest of the constituency and the state as a whole,” he said.

Others who spoke include NPP national vice president and deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong and state president and Rajya Sabha member Dr WR Kharlukhi.