Meghalaya CM asks BJP to snap out of euphoria

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Wednesday asked the BJP-led Central government to snap out of its election "euphoria" and talk about development.

"No need for the BJP to be in euphoria. Elections happened not only in Assam but in other states too. But one has to look at the vote share of the Congress. It is time for them (BJP) to get out of the euphoria, and talk about development," Sangma told journalists.

The veteran Congress leader was reacting to BJP national spokesman, Nalin S. Kohli who on Tuesday claimed that the Mukul Sangma government would fall under the "burden of its own power games and contradictions".

"This government is not at the mercy of Kohli or anybody. Unless he makes such statements, (Prime Minister) Modi will sack him," Sangma said.

Attacking the Central government, Sangma said the railway project in the Northeast inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the result of the initiatives of the previous Congress-led government at the Centre. Similarly, the East-West Corridor Project in Assam was also initiated by the Congress government which has boosted the economy and also resulted in setting up of showrooms of various big companies now.

"Peoples' memories are short, and they should be reminded again and again. Look at Assam, what was happening 15 years ago, and after the Congress government under the leadership of Tarun Gogoi as Chief Minister. People should see and compare," Sangma said.

Reacting to the Congress' defeat in last month's bye-election to the Tura Lok Sabha constituency to the National People's Party, Sangma said: "We know when to win and when not to win elections," adding that he stood by his earlier statement that the NPP would be buried in 2018.

"I did not find people who can really connect to the ideology of the BJP. They have to tie up with other parties to reach to the people of Meghalaya, and when election comes, they will have contradictory objectives," he said.

Sangma was optimistic that the Congress would bounce back as it been able to withstand the test of times.

"There was only a brief period that the Congress could not lead the government in Meghalaya," Sangma said.

--IANS

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