Meghalaya election 2023: A vote for NPP is a vote for BJP, says TMC leader Derek O'Brien

With less than 48 hours to go for the 2023 Meghalaya Assembly Elections, the Meghalaya Trinamool Congress on February 25 expressed their gratitude for the unwavering faith shown by thousands of people of the state and expressed confidence in bringing the change that the people deserve.

Party leaders also reiterated that once voted to power, the TMC government would fulfil their people-centric pledges to Meghalaya within 100 days of forming the government.

Addressing a press conference at the Umroi Party Office on Saturday morning, MP and Leader of AITC Parliamentary Party in Rajya Sabha Derek O’Brien said, “We came here with humility and honesty and the people of Meghalaya welcomed us with open arms. We are confident that people will continue to bless Meghalaya TMC. As our leaders have said before, the Meghalaya TMC government will deliver our pledges within 100 days of forming the government.”

From upholding the linguistic diversity of the state by launching the campaign song in Khasi and Garo languages to formulating TMC’s 10 Pledges for Meghalaya as per the needs of the people, throughout the election campaign, Meghalaya TMC has stressed celebrating and protecting Meghalaya’s people and culture at all costs.

Expressing his gratitude towards the support of the people, Meghalaya TMC Vice-President and Umroi candidate George B Lyngdoh said, “In just a few months’ time, there has been a miraculous rise of the party due to the support of the people. With D-day coming on February 27, and with all the promises and pledges made, we appeal to the people of the state to give us a chance to bring change and hope to Meghalaya.”

“We are the only party that leads the fight against the evils we have seen in our state. We have raised the issues of Meghalaya in Delhi. Be it our demands to abolish MoU or the agreement between Assam and Meghalaya or to include the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule of our Constitution, we have taken people's voices and concerns to Parliament,” said Umroi candidate George B Lyngdoh.

The leaders also underlined the key areas of focus for the TMC government. “Focus for the TMC government after March 2 will be education, health, and infrastructure,” said MP Derek O’Brien.

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Reiterating TMC’s 10 Pledges For Meghalaya, the parliamentarian said that in addition to the extremely popular WE Card and MYE Card schemes, which would provide financial assistance of Rs 1,000 per month to the women and unemployed youth of the state, the party would also move on war footing to implement the FARM Assistance Scheme (Rs 10,000 per year) for farmers, double the social welfare pensions to Rs 1,000 per month, and ensure 1 lakh laptops for higher secondary students and facilitate DBT transfer of Rs 1,200 to families of school-going children every year.

“Trinamool Congress brings to Meghalaya hope for communal harmony, peace, and unity of the Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia Hills. We are serious about amplifying the issues in Meghalaya on the floor of the Parliament and will continue to fight for the inclusion of the Garo and Khasi languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution,” said Trinamool MP Derek O’Brien.

The press conference was followed by a public meeting in Umroi where more than 8,000 supporters gathered on Saturday morning. In the past few weeks, Meghalaya TMC public meetings have seen unprecedented turn out including places such as Rajabala, Mendipathar, Mawkyrwat, Shillong, and Umroi.

The TMC leaders also emphasised that the presence of over 1 lakh supporters in Rajabala for AITC Chairperson Mamata Banerjee’s public meeting proved that the people’s support lies with the change promised by TMC.

Urging people to see through the deceit and lies propagated by the NPP and BJP, MP Derek O’Brien said, “A vote for NPP is a vote for BJP. They are one and the same. For four years NPP-BJP were in the same room and now that the elections are here, they have started shadowboxing.”

Highlighting the party’s role in demanding accountability from the corrupt, inept, and inefficient BJP-backed and NPP-led MDA government, Umroi candidate George B Lyngdoh said, “We have held the Government accountable for being complicit in the Saubhagya scheme scam, Smart Meter Scam, Shillong Smart City Scam, the Assembly Dome collapse, and the latest one being the Meghalaya Land Scam.” He also said that the party is dedicated to removing BJP from power across the country.