VPP targets to form Govt on its own in 2028: Ardent 

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 18, 2023

Voice of the People Party (VPP) chief Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit on Saturday said that his party is targeting to form the government on its own in 2028. 

He also slammed leaders of other regional parties for acts of betrayal which has denied the state to get a government led by a regional force.

Basaiawmoit, who is also legislator of Nongkrem constituency, also claimed that the unexpected victory of the VPP is a threat to the ruling National People’s Party (NPP). 

Addressing at the ‘gratitude rally’ organized by the party at Polo ground, the VPP chief said, “We have been able to shape the party in such away that it gives our people hope and we want you to know that as leaders, we don’t have any intention to gain personal benefits but our goal is to achieve our target that in 2028, the VPP will form the government on its own.”

He however said that party will not achieve this target if wrong decisions are made. 

Stating that the state should have got a government led by regional parties, Basaiawmoit however said, “But you have seen what happened. We were betrayed by the other regional parties and we could not form the government. Therefore, we decided to be in the opposition.” 

“We really wanted a government to be led by regional parties and we have put forth over 15 conditions but we have come down saying that as long as the NPP is kept out of power, we are ready to even give outside support but they are not ready to listen,” he said while adding “There are the same parties who claimed to have strong leaders but when interviewed by the media they said UDP has taken the lead, we just decided to follow.”

Asserting that VPP will not follow blindly, Basaiawmoit said, “The party will stick to its principles whether it is in the government or outside the government.”

The VPP president further claimed that too many people have approached the party for ticket for the upcoming elections to the autonomous district councils in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills region to be held next year. 

He said when he was visiting the polling stations on February 27, he got phone calls from people requesting for party ticket but he told them to let the polling be completed. 

“After March 2, people from different parties have approached us for ticket. There is a constituency where over 20 people have requested for party ticket. This is because of the strong VPP wave that is going on (in the region),” Basaiawmoit said. 

“Therefore, we have to be wiser and I told them if you come to the VPP just to get ticket, I suggest it will be better for you not to come to the VPP as there is no guarantee that we will give you the ticket,” he said while requesting the supporters of the party to work together with the leaders.

He informed that the party has decided to strengthen the organization and said, “We have the CEC and we have appointed the organizing secretaries and now the party will strengthen itself.”

The VPP has managed to win four seats in the 59-member House.

Basaiawmoit said that the victory of his party has came as a huge surprise to many. 

“Many have predicted that the VPP will win only 1 seat but we have won 4 seats. We lost by a very thin margin in Mylliem constituency and the people there have admitted that they were not really in favour of the Congress but they voted for the party just because they want to ensure the NPP is defeated,” he added. 

Praising his party for defeating money power, Basaiawmoit said this was our first victory where big business tycoons were defeated by the candidates of the party. 

“Even the single largest party, which has got the opportunity to again lead the government in the state was forced to admit that it was badly affected by ‘Prah’ in the just concluded elections,” he said. 

He continued, “Had the VPP did not contest the elections, the NPP would have formed the government on its own but fortunately God was on our side and we were able to make people understand against money power.”

Also stating that people have now realized that the fight will be with the VPP from now onwards, Basaiawmoit said, “The NPP is not scared of any political party but it is scared of the VPP because we may not be able to win many seats but we were able to win against the money power.” 

He said the second victory was that the VPP has been recognized as a state party because its vote share has increased so much after the election. 

Further, the VPP president said that third victory is that the party was able to do away with the narrative that Khasi people vote for the individual and not the party. 

“That is why we say politics in Meghalaya is difficult because it is personality centric not party centric. 

We went to people and said that it is wrong as the individual and the party are like two sides of the same coin. Therefore, there is need to look at the individual as well as the party. Due to this, people were surprised when VPP candidates won from Mawryngkneng, Mawlai. In Nongthymmai and Mawphlang, we did not even have a polling agent but we got the support of over 4000 and 5000 people,” he said while claiming that people are now demanding for ‘Prah’ in almost all the constituencies. 

On the fourth victory, Basaiawmoit said that the VPP was able to prove that it is purely a regional party, which people are having faith and confident.