As Meghalaya Heads For Polls, Political Theatrics Heat Up

In Meghalaya, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as a small entity within the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government, starts its pre-2023 Assembly poll campaign with a handicap against rival, the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Led by former Congress leader Mukul Sangma, the TMC has 12 members in the 60-strong state Assembly and leads the opposition against the MDA coalition leader NPP (National Peoples Party), headed by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.

The BJP had won only two seats in the 2018 assembly elections. Ironically, the Congress had then narrowly emerged as the biggest party ahead of even the now-ruling NPP. However, post-election parleys led to the formation of the MDA alliance enabling the BJP to join it, under the NPP’s leadership, with support from other smaller regional parties. This helped fulfill the BJP’s main objective in the Northeast — to keep its main opposition Congress out of power.

This time, the BJP and the NPP have indicated that they would not have any pre-poll alliance, or seat adjustments. The NPP supports the BJP-led NDA government at the centre. This makes it easy for other parties to question its sincerity in distancing itself from the saffron party in Meghalaya. NPP spokespersons maintain that their compulsions in state level politics and local issues substantially differ from political choices they face at the national level.

On its part, the BJP too has indicated its decision of going solo and contesting in as many seats as possible. Given the time-honoured traditions of floor crossing in Northeast states, the possibility of the two parties coming together again in a post-poll alliance cannot be ruled out.

As for the TMC, its baptism into the volatile Northeast politics during the last few years has followed a roller-coaster pattern. Disaffected leaders and supporters from smaller regional parties have joined its ranks in the past in different Northeastern states. TMC leaders from Kolkata have helped them set up party offices and have also helped with campaigning during elections.

However, the outcome of TMC’s Northeast outreach has not been very encouraging, whether in Tripura in recent times, or elsewhere. Worse, the TMC, in common with most other parties, has not been able to preserve its identity at times, failing to halt mass defections to winning parties to maintain the leaders’ local political relevance.

It must be noted though that the present TMC leader in Meghalaya, Mukul Sangma, has been a veteran Congressman for years, enjoying a special status in the NE region.

Sangma has already launched an anti-MDA campaign, dismissing current Chief Minister Conrad Sangma as nothing more than “a puppet put up by Delhi”, while addressing public rallies. Political leaders as well as most ethnic tribal groups in the region harbour a general distrust about leaders and parties ‘from outside’, or other Indian states.

It comes as no surprise to see Sangma (TMC) attack the incumbent Chief Minister for aligning a long-awaited border agreement with Assam, currently helmed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The TMC’s complaint is that 66 acres were given away to the BJP-ruled neighbouring state (Assam) under pressure from Delhi.

CM Conrad Sangma retorted that about 40 acres of territory would be shared almost equally between the two states, finally ending a 50-year old dispute. Similar agreements would be worked out for other disputed areas as well, CM Sangma asserted. The agreement was warmly welcomed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who monitored northeast developments closely.

CM Sangma also adopts a statesman-like approach as the pre-poll campaign warms up. He has recently rued the fact that during the last 50 years, Meghalaya had not made much progress, falling behind other states. He said that his party (NPP) had drawn up a vision-cum-roadmap that could be used as a guideline in the future to ensure Meghalaya’s rapid progress over the next decades.

Both the TMC and the NPP are carrying out vigorous campaigns online, using their respective websites as well as social media, a sign of the changing times. The expert IPAC group headed by poll strategist Prashant Kishor helps run the TMC campaign, never mind Kishor’s usual denial of not involving himself with politics anymore. The BJP and other parties are also running a strong campaign through their respective websites, with help from their legion of IT cell trolls and influencers.

Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has been working hard to conclude a peace-cum-rehabilitation treaty with the banned Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) extremist group in Meghalaya for some time now. HNLC delegations met state officials for talks in August and are scheduled to visit again sometime this month. HNLC spokespersons say that discussions are on to explain their demands, future agenda and other issues with the state government. Progress is monitored by the Union home ministry.

In case the MDA government manages to work out a positive understanding with the HNLC-led tribals, it would go a long way to ensure lasting peace for the state and earn Chief Minister Sangma major points in his campaign.

Meanwhile, tribal/non-tribal tensions continue to plague Meghalaya’s politics as before. Assam Congress leader Debabrata Saikia recently wrote to the Meghalaya Governor, urging him to take strong action against tribal marchers who recently attacked non-tribal shops and people during a protest march, not even sparing women. However, the police took no action against the offenders. Saikia also called for an immediate probe into the matter, in view of the continued attacks on non-tribals.

Some time ago, it may be that recalled Tathagata Roy, the former Governor of Meghalaya, had condemned the Khasi Students Union (KSU) for its repeated attacks and provocations against non-tribal people. He had said the KSU should be banned, like the HNLC and other armed groups threatening ethnic harmony and law and order. Non-tribals in Meghalaya have been reduced to the precarious status of Kashmiri Pandits, over the years, he pointed out. (IPA Service)