Meghalaya's MDA is a proxy BJP corrupt govt, says Mamata Banerjee

Shillong, Jan 18 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday termed the MDA government in Meghalaya as a "BJP proxy corrupt government", which did nothing for the people of the state.

"The BJP is a double-faced party which promises something at the time of elections and does something else after polls," she said while addressing a public meeting in North Garo Hills district in Meghalaya, which will go to polls on February 27.

Claiming that her Trinamool is the only party that has the mindset and ability to provide better governance in Meghalaya, which according to her has enormous potentiality and scope to develop tourism and to solve unemployment problems, she said: "What has this MDA government done in the past five years? We challenge them to show their report card on what they did in the past five years. Why is it that after so many years, electricity hasn't reached most parts of Meghalaya? Why is the younger generation not getting any employment opportunities?"

Banerjee said that in the upcoming Assembly elections, the Trinamool would come to power to empower the people, uphold the culture, celebrate the sacred land of Meghalaya, and remove the proxy BJP government, which is corrupt and hasn't done anything for the people.

The BJP, with two MLAs (including a minister), is part of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government led by National People's Party (NPP) headed by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma.

Trinamool General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, in his speech, said looking at the love, appreciation, and enthusiasm of the people for his party, the NPP would not be able to win a single seat from Garo Hills.

"This public gathering would be the death knell for the corrupt NPP-MDA government," he said and said that if voted to power, the people of the soil would run the government in Meghalaya, unlike those leaders who run governments from the ivory towers of Guwahati and Delhi.

"If you want to change this corrupt and proxy BJP government, then Trinamool is the only credible alternative. Our party can provide better governance, as it fulfils the dreams of the youth, women, students and farmers. We want a government for the people, by the people and of the people in Meghalaya."

Mamata Banerjee's Wednesday visit to Meghalaya was the second in little over one month. In December, she was on a two-day visit to Shillong where she promised to launch Trinamool's Meghalaya Financial Inclusion for Women Empowerment (MFI-WE) if the party is voted to powers.

The Trinamool is the first party in Meghalaya that recently declared their candidates for 52 of the total of 60 seats.

Twelve MLAs, led by former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma (2010-2018) who had won in the 2018 Assembly election as Congress nominees joined the Trinamool in November 2021, making the West Bengal-based party the main opposition in the northeastern state overnight.

However, of the 12 Trinamool MLAs, five so far quit to join other parties.