E-Paper
Meghalaya: NPP’s Ampareen Lyngdoh, her sister Jasmine first to file nominations
The NPP’s Ampareen Lyngdoh and her sister Jasmine Lyngdoh claimed it was their family’s tradition to file nominations on the first day itself
Two siblings from the ruling National People’s Party (NPP), Ampareen Lyngdoh and her sister Jasmine Lyngdoh were the first to file their nominations for the Meghalaya assembly elections on Tuesday.
Contesting from East Shillong and Nongthymmai assembly constituencies, respectively, they claimed it was their family’s tradition to file nominations on the first day itself.
Former minister Pynshai M Syiem also filed nominations on Tuesday as an independent candidate from Mylliem constituency. Meghalaya will go to polls on February 27.
“It has been the tradition of my family since 1972. Our family has served the state of Meghalaya for 51 long years. So it has always been a practice and convention of my late father (former Meghalaya legislative assembly speaker Peter G. Marbaniang) followed by my late brother (former Mehhalaya home minister) Robert Garnett Lyngdoh. My younger sister and I are also doing the same thing,” said Ampareen, the East Shillong legislator who had left the Congress to join the NPP.
“We have come here on the first day to show people that we are ready to serve. Like we are the first for filing we are the first in everything else,” she said.
Meanwhile, in a major setback to the ruling NPP, over 700 supporters of former Speaker and NPP candidate Martin M Danggo on Monday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The new entrants were led by Pelcy Snaitang, a woman leader from Ranikor.
BJP state vice president Dipayan Chakraborty said, “We welcome them and it is a great move because on the eve of elections when we are supposed to go for the nomination, the local committee was dissolved and there was mass resignation from the NPP.”
He said every citizen has started to understand that the Conrad K Sangma-led government has failed miserably as people’s expectations have not been met in the last five years.
Asked about Danggo’s joining the party, he said, “We are hearing that he will be joining the party as most of his supporters have joined the BJP today. So we hope within a day or two we will hear some good news from Ranikor,” he said.
The BJP leader said the party did try to correct the government in the Cabinet as well as in the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) meetings.
“But we have only 2 MLAs and have our own limitations but we have always tried (to correct the government). If they do not take our words then we have to go back to the people,” he said.
Expressing confidence that the BJP will lead the government after the elections, Chakraborty maintained that the party will not need the NPP, if the party gets 30 seats.
