NPP state chief slams VPP for telling “lies” at an election campaign at Smit

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 16, 2024

National People’s Party (NPP) state president and deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong on Tuesday addressed an election campaign seeking support for the party’s candidate for Shillong parliamentary seat Ampareen Lyngdoh at Smit village under Nongkrem constituency, a home turf of the opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) chief Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit.

Addressing a huge crowd attending the campaign, Tynsong asked the people  to reject the VPP for trying to mislead the people with its lies.

The NPP state president said today was for the first time, he had set foot on Ardent’s constituency for the purpose of campaigning but Basaiawmoit had visited his Pynursla constituency more than 50 times.

“Last, he (Ardent) visited Nongshken, the MDC constituency of Grace Mary Kharpuri and during his campaign he alleged that Prestone Tynsong and Grace Mary Kharpuri are indulging in corruption and that it is time for people to vote for the VPP as it stands for clean politics and clean governance. However, one person asked Ardent as to from where he is planning to start cleaning politics to which Ardent could not reply,” he stated.

He said that Ardent, who started his clean politics way back in 2013, is the same person, who is now paying people to attend his party’s election campaign. “Do you think this is clean politics? Therefore, it is not easy,” he added.

Tynsong also referred the VPP’s campaigning to the attempts made in 1999 by a preacher to mislead the people that the world will come to an end in 2000 and people, who believed him fled to the jungles surrendering everything they own including their properties and after 24 years, such families are forced to live in poverty.

“This is for the time that such a party was formed (in Meghalaya), which has attempted to mislead the people by saying that the jaidbynriew is now at the edge of a cliff and is without hope. This is totally misleading and is a total lie. I will tell you that the budget session during Captain Williamson Sangma as Chief Minister and BB Lyngdoh as Finance Minister, the state’s budget was only Rs 5000 crore. Now in 2024, we (MDA government) had passed a budget of over Rs 27,000 crore. So do you think that the state is going down, no, the state is moving forward in terms of developments and on all fronts,” he said.

“I am afraid that such a party is also trying to mislead the youth by asking them to join its fold so that they will get government jobs but I have been MLA for the past many years, I never dare to make such kind of promises to the people,” he said.

Expressing surprise that the people of Nongkrem did not vote for former MLA Lambor Malngiang during the 2023 Assembly polls, Tynsong said, “People addressed him (Ardent) as a boss but I will tell you it is meaningless to be boss if you are not in the ruling government.”

He also slammed Ardent for shrugging off his responsibility to bring development to Nongkrem constituency.

“When you (Ardent) canvass you said please vote for me so that I will bring development and now when you are elected you changed your words and instead said it is the duty and the job of Prestone Tynsong, Sniawbhalang Dhar and Ampareen Lyngdoh to bring development to your constituency?” Tynsong asked.

“Just two months ago, Ampareen came to visit a PHC in Nongkrem, you say that there is nobody like Ampareen and now during election time, you and your supporters are attacking her (and using foul language against her),” he said.

Urging the people of Nongkrem constituency to vote for NPP, Tynsong said that it will be a proud moment for Khasi-Jaintia Hills region if Ampareen is elected MP in parliament as she will be representing the voices of its people.