Meghalaya poll battle: Former ally attacks ruling NPP over coal mining issue

Guwahati : With the Assembly elections in Meghalaya nearing, the former ally BJP has sharply criticised the ruling National People’s Party (NPP).

In an official statement, the BJP on Friday slammed Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on the coal mining issue. Earlier, Sangma’s party claimed that it would control the illegal coal mining in the hill state, and after five years, the NPP failed to do so.

“The NPP could not even fulfil half of the promises it made to the people before the 2018 Assembly election. This time, they will be certainly voted out of power in Meghalaya,” said BJP leaders.

Though the BJP and NPP shared power in Meghalaya for the last five years, the two parties earlier decided to go solo in the election. Since then, former allies have been seen attacking each other on different issues.

The BJP’s criticism came against the backdrop of Conrad Sangma’s claim of getting an absolute majority in the upcoming election.

“We will form the government in Meghalaya on our own with a full majority,” he said at an election rally on Thursday.

While attending an election rally in the Songsak Assembly constituency, Sangma commented, “We don’t have to think much about the upcoming election. It is very clear that NPP is coming back with a thumping victory.”

He further claimed that in last five years, his government could do much more than what could not be achieved in 20-30 years.

“The NPP government has built a record number of roads across the state,” he added.

The Chief Minister further said that in the 45 years of statehood, only 4,500 households in rural areas of Meghalaya had piped water connections, but the NPP-led government has provided over 3 lakh households with piped water connections in the last three years.