‘No big rallies, no star campaigners for Cong in M’laya’

SHILLONG, JAN 29

(PTI): For the February 27 Meghalaya Assembly election the Congress will not be holding big rallies nor will it have star campaigners but instead it will focus to connect with the voters, a senior party leader said on Sunday.

With 80 per cent of our candidates new faces contesting the assembly election for the first time, the Congress will focus on visiting houses of the voters and holding small rallies at local community level to connect with the voters so that they could know their candidates, Meghalaya Congress president Vincent H Pala said.

“We will not have star campaigners and there will be no big political rallies. Instead, we will focus and adapt to what is best in the political dynamics of the state. People here prefer to get to know their candidates more than their party affiliation,” Pala told PTI.

The Meghalaya Congress president said he himself will not be hosting big rallies in the SutngaSaipung constituency from where he is contesting the Assembly election.

“I will be attending constituency-based rallies and party meetings convened by party candidates and their supporters,” he said Pala recalled the setback the party suffered in 2021 when 12 out of 17 Congress MLAs left the party and joined the Trinamool Congress and how the remaining five who were suspended for their anti-party activities also deserted the party.

He, however, expressed confidence that the traditional Congress voters have not deserted the party.

“The leaders may have left and joined other political parties but the voters have remained with us (Congress). I have feedbacks to believe in this and on March 2 we will see the results,” he told PTI.

Pala expressed confidence that the Congress will win 30-35 seats in the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly in the February 27 election. He said the party has fielded many young and fresh faces as the state need young leaders to lead the state.

The Congress is not alone in adopting strategies to connect with the voters in this hill state, according to political observers.

“We have seen candidates who won elections in Meghalaya are the ones who have connected really well with the voters all throughout regardless of their party affiliations,” said Manosh Das, an analyst and a political observer who has followed elections in Meghalaya for over three decades.

Das said the politics in Meghalaya is unique and different and people here are not easily swayed by big rallies and big parties.

Arunachal CM asks BJP workers not to allow ‘money culture’ during elections

ITANAGAR, JAN 29

(PTI): Arunachal Pradesh

Chief Minister Pema Khandu has urged BJP workers not to allow “money culture” during elections as such a practice “disturbs democratic ethos”.

Apart from the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the assembly elections in the northeastern state are due next year.

“As elections approach, let us not allow money culture to disturb our democratic ethos,” Khandu said, while addressing a two-day BJP state executive meeting at Aalo in West Siang district on Saturday.

Notably, several cash seizure cases were reported during the 2019 elections in the state.

The chief minister also urged the party workers to involve women to make people aware of the benefits of government schemes.

“From homemakers to working for development of Arunachal, women have played crucial role in our society,” Khandu wrote on his official Twitter handle.

Asserting that the BJP is the “only party” which could take the state to a higher growth trajectory, Khandu said, “To expand the party’s vision and work, we should take help of community in spreading good words of our government’s welfare work.”

While highlighting the developmental activities initiated by the state government, the chief minister said that “historical achievements like Tali and Vijanagar roads, village programmes, reverse migration to border areas” were some of the achievements of the government.

“The long pending Assam-Arunachal boundary issue will be solved shortly,” he said.

BJP national general secretary and the party’s in charge of Arunachal Pradesh, Dilip Saikia, in his address, stressed on maintaining discipline by the party workers.

State ministers presented the achievements of their respective departments during the meeting.

During the event, economic and political resolutions were passed, which were moved by Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein and MLA Nyato Dukam, party sources said. Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju along with Lok Sabha MP Tapir Gao also attended the meeting.

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“Political parties are like big teams in sports and candidates with strong connections with the masses are like best players. The teams select good players based on their winning factor,” he said.

He cited the examples of former minister AL Hek and cabinet minister Sanbor Shullai, now both with the BJP, who have managed to retain their seats irrespective of their party affiliations in the past.

Das also cited how the Trinamool Congress came from behind to snatch 12 out of 17 Congress MLAs including former chief minister Mukul Sangma and former speaker Charles Pyngrope.

Congreleasesfinallistofcandidates forMeghalayaAssemblyelection

The Congress has released its final list of candidates for the Meghalaya Assembly elections, a senior party leader said on Sunday. Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee President and MP Vincent H Pala said the final list of five candidates was approved by the central election committee (CEC).

The five candidates are Jhanika Siangshai (Khliehriat), Arbiangkam Khar Sohmat (Amlarem), Chireng Peter R Marak (Kharkutta), Dr Tweel K Marak (Resubelpara) and

NSCN-KYA rebels arrested in Arunachal district

ITANAGAR, JAN 29

(PTI): Security forces arrested two cadres of NSCNKYA and seized arms and ammunition in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh, a senior police officer from the district said on Sunday.

Based on intelligence report regarding presence of the rebels of the outfit at Khamkai and Namgoi area of the district, a joint operation was launched by personnel of Assam Rifles and district police and the two cadres were apprehended on Saturday, Changlang Superintendent of Police (SP) Mihin Gambo said.

The arrested cadres have been identified as Nayan Kumar Chakma (42) and Gangwang Wanglee (37), the SP said. Based on revelation by Chakma, police recovered one Chinese made 7.62 mm rifle, AK magazine, safety fuse, radio set and mobile phone from the jungle of Old Longchong in Rima Putak circle.