Guwahati: The Meghalaya Trinamool Congress expressed their appreciation for the unflinching faith demonstrated by thousands of people in the state on February 25 and expressed confidence in bringing about the change that the people deserve with less than 48 hours left before the 2023 Meghalaya Assembly Elections.
Party officials also reaffirmed that, if elected, the TMC administration would fulfil its promises to Meghalaya within 100 days of taking office.
Addressing a press conference at the Umroi Party Office on Saturday morning, MP and Leader of AITC Parliamentary Party in Rajya Sabha Derek O’Brien said, “We came here with humility and honesty and the people of Meghalaya welcomed us with open arms. We are confident that people will continue to bless Meghalaya TMC. As our leaders have said before, the Meghalaya TMC government will deliver our pledges within 100 days of forming the government.”
Meghalaya TMC has emphasised celebrating and preserving Meghalaya’s people and culture at all costs during the election campaign, from launching the campaign song in the Khasi and Garo languages to creating TMC’s 10 Pledges for Meghalaya as per the requirements of the people.
Meghalaya TMC Vice-President and Umroi candidate George B Lyngdoh said, “In just a few months’ time, there has been a miraculous rise of the party due to the support of the people. With D-day coming on February 27, and with all the promises and pledges made, we appeal to the people of the state to give us a chance to bring change and hope to Meghalaya.”
“We are the only party that leads the fight against the evils we have seen in our state. We have raised the issues of Meghalaya in Delhi. Be it our demands to abolish MoU or the agreement between Assam and Meghalaya or to include the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule of our Constitution, we have taken people’s voices and concerns to Parliament,” said Umroi candidate George B Lyngdoh.
The leaders also underlined the key areas of focus for the TMC government. “Focus for the TMC government after March 2 will be education, health, and infrastructure,” said MP Derek O’Brien.
Reiterating the TMC’s Ten Promises The legislator for Meghalaya stated that the party would work tirelessly to implement the FARM Assistance Scheme (Rs 10,000 per year for farmers), double the social welfare pensions to Rs 1,000 per month, ensure 1 lakh laptops for higher secondary students, and facilitate DBT transcription in addition to the extremely popular WE Card and MYE Card schemes, which would provide financial assistance of Rs 1,000 per month to the state’s unemployed women and young people.
“Trinamool Congress brings to Meghalaya hope for communal harmony, peace, and unity of the Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia Hills. We are serious about amplifying the issues in Meghalaya on the floor of the Parliament and will continue to fight for the inclusion of the Garo and Khasi languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution,” said Trinamool MP Derek O’Brien.
More than 8,000 people gathered at a public gathering in Umroi on Saturday morning after the news briefing. A record number of people have attended Meghalaya TMC public meetings in recent weeks, including those in Rajabala, Mendipathar, Mawkyrwat, Shillong, and Umroi.
The TMC officials also emphasised that the fact that over 1 lakh supporters attended Mamata Banerjee’s public speech at Rajabala demonstrated that the public supports the change that the TMC has promised.
Urging people to see through the deceit and lies propagated by the NPP and BJP, MP Derek O’Brien said, “A vote for NPP is a vote for BJP. They are one and the same. For four years NPP-BJP were in the same room and now that the elections are here, they have started shadowboxing.”
Highlighting the party’s role in demanding accountability from the corrupt, inept and inefficient BJP-backed and NPP-led MDA government, Umroi candidate George B Lyngdoh said, “We have held the Government accountable for being complicit in the Saubhagya scheme scam, Smart Meter Scam, Shillong Smart City Scam, the Assembly Dome collapse, and the latest one being the Meghalaya Land Scam.” He also said that the party is dedicated to removing BJP from power across the country.