Trinamool Congress has no right to say they are the people’s voice: NPP leader James Sangma

James Sangma, Meghalaya cabinet minister and leader of the NPP, stated on October 10 that the opposition All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) has no right to assert that it speaks for the people by only seizing control of a few state legislators.

Reacting to the daily attacks by the AITC against the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government and its performance, Sangma said, “Without having fought a single election and by just hijacking some of the MLAs and bringing them into their fold, I don’t think that gives them the right to say that they are the voice of the people. It is elections that give the mandate to people."

After 12 former Congress MLAs merged with the AITC in December of last year, the party was reclassified as an Opposition party.

Sangma commented on the multiple claims of corruption by saying that those who live in glass houses shouldn't cast stones at those who live in other houses. He emphasised that members of the ruling government have also been in the Opposition in the past.

“There have been many accusations which have been hurled against them and they are also answerable for those accusations but just to throw stones and just to point fingers at others that too with unsubstantiated facts and data is I think, very wrong,” he said.

Sangma added that a discussion was not at all necessary despite the recent need for one made by Saket Gokhale, the national spokesperson for the AITC. He continued by saying that the Chief Minister had made it quite clear who would attend the secretariat and carry out their duties if all of the government's ministers began participating in public disputes.

“We appreciate the concerns of Gokhale, he is very free to express his views but then challenging the chief minister or deputy chief minister, I think that is something not required because the chief minister and the deputy chief minister have been very accessible to the press; they have taken questions from all of you. The press is the fourth estate and all of you are the voice of the people who would like to ask questions on behalf of the people of the state and they have been answering those questions and I think that should suffice,” Sangma further added.
The NPP leader argued that the best indicator of whether or not people will embrace the AITC as a new player in state politics will be the results of the elections in 2023.

Referring to the Congress claim that people are fed up with the MDA government and will not vote for its candidates in 2023, Sangma however said, “As we draw closer to the elections, such kind of narrative or rhetoric will come about where people will start talking about how people are not happy but one or two people mentioning that does not reflect the mood of the people.”

“I think the best way to cage the mood of the people is an election wherein they will cast their vote and they will finally give their views and whether they have accepted or they have appreciated the performance of the government or not. That is when elections are held and results are declared, it will speak for itself,” he asserted.