Northeast Desk, 13th June: The National People’s Party (NPP) on June 12 minimized the significance of the Voice of the People Party (VPP)’s landslide victory in the Shillong parliamentary seat, asserting that it does not foreshadow the outcomes of the 2028 Meghalaya Assembly elections, which are still four years away.
NPP national general secretary and Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar emphasized that while the VPP has the potential to increase its seats, other parties, including the NPP and the United Democratic Party (UDP), will also be working diligently to reclaim their positions.
“You cannot link it with the 2028 Assembly elections. Of course, there is scope for the VPP to increase its seats, but you cannot also undermine the fact that the NPP, UDP, and other parties will also work very hard since we have got 3-4 years’ time,” Dhar stated.
Dhar pointed out that past election outcomes do not necessarily predict future results, drawing parallels with the Congress party’s fluctuating performance in recent years. “In 2019, Vincent Pala secured 4 lakh votes, a landslide victory, but in 2023, the Congress could win only 4 seats from the Khasi-Jaintia region. That’s why people are wiser than you think. Therefore, you should never underestimate our voters,” he remarked.
Acknowledging the NPP’s poor performance in the recent elections, Dhar assured that the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government would continue to serve the people impartially and with renewed vigor.
He apologized on behalf of the party and the government for any past shortcomings and promised that they would strive to better serve the people without any partiality or bias. Dhar also mentioned that a thorough analysis of the party’s performance is underway to identify and correct any shortcomings and lapses.