By our correspondent
Following the announcement of the Bye-election to the Tura seat on May 16 the Meghalaya Congress has decided to field Mahendraganj MLA and Chief Minister Mukul Sangma’s wife, Dikkanchi Shira, as its candidate for the upcoming Tura by-poll scheduled to be held next month.
Dikkanchi’s name, however, has to be approved by AICC chief Sonia Gandhi.
On Thursday during an interaction with editors and correspondents of media organizations, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma had said that the sympathy wave will not work in the election and added that the party will focus on the issues which were promised through the manifesto and achievements of the government.
“People are wise enough to judge the performance of the government,” he said, adding that every election is a test for every political party.
The Tura by-poll which is necessitated following the demise of Purno A. Sangma is set to be a direct contest between NPP and Congress.
The NPP is scheduled to meet on Friday to finalize its candidate for the polls and it is indicated that Agatha Sangma would in most probability be named as the candidate for the May 16 election.
The regional party of Meghalaya, the United Democratic Party has decided not to contest the elections while the BJP is still awaiting the approval of the party high command whether or not to contest the election.
Tarun Gogoi says will take decision after 2 years about political future
By our special correspondent
After declaring this election s his last, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi now says he will decide whether to continue in office after two years if he is re-elected. .
“After two years, I will take a decision on how I will continue in the party. I will decide if I will remain as a CM for the next five years or not, ” he said asserting that he will win a fourth consecutive term. “Accordingly, I will take my next step,” Gogoi told press persons in an interview.
The octogenarian Goigoi had earlier already announced that this Assembly election will be his last participation in electoral democracy, stating that Congress has to fight without him henceforth.
When asked to name those likely to take over the party leadership from him Gogoi, said “Leaders emerge out of masses, ” adding that there are many capable leaders like Anjan Dutta, Paban Singh Ghatowar, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Ripun Bora, Pradyut Bordoloi and Rakibul Hussain.
Gogoi pointed to former West Bengal CM Jyot Basu who handed over the baton to Buddhadev Bhattacharjee in the middle of a term so that the latter could prepare the groundwork.
Not to be deterred by talks that the BJP is on an upswing this time around, Gogoi said “we have received very good response from people during our campaigning. We are confident of forming the government with absolute majority.
Countering the BJP’s claim for brining in change Gogoi said Narendra Modi came to Assam and said he was the change and would bring achche din (good days). It has become a big joke. Has the achche din come? Have the people got the basic amenities like houses, drinking water, food, health and clothes?” Gogoi asked.
The BJP is talking about alternative and change. Do they have the capacity for the same? Except Sarbananda (Sonowal), all leaders are old in state politics. Prafulla Mahanta, Himanta Biswa Sarma — all have been in politics for a long time. Most of the BJP’s leaders had come from AASU and AGP background. The state BJP is an extended AGP team. They have pasted a new label. It is like old wine in a new bottle. We all know how AGP was in governance. It was the worst. The economy, law and order, job-generation, insurgency and secret killings were at its worst,” he added.