SHILLONG: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised opposing parties' fear-mongering strategies during the recently ended Lok Sabha elections for the Tura parliamentary constituency in Garo Hills, which resulted in a fierce struggle.
Vice president of the State BJP and Tura MDC Bernard N. Marak expressed dissatisfaction with the campaign's emphasis on topics like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), One Nation One Election, and the Uniform Civil Code. He also pointed out that there hasn't been any real conversation about important state concerns. Marak took issue with the lack of election manifestos from candidates and their inability to offer a detailed plan for the next five years of development in the area.
“The campaigners tried to scare the people with laws that are not applicable in Meghalaya, such as CAA, One Nation One Election, and the Uniform Civil Code. The pressing issues of the State and the people found little or no mention during the campaigning process, and campaigners fed on their fears mostly,” according to Marak.
The BJP backed the National People's Party (NPP) even though it refrained from fielding candidates for the Shillong and Tura parliamentary seats. The BJP endorsed NPP candidate Ampareen Lyngdoh in Shillong and incumbent NPP member Agatha Sangma in Tura.
Reportedly, Saleng Sangma, the Congress candidate, performed exceptionally well in the Tura seat, presenting a significant threat to the NPP's incumbent Agatha Sangma.
In the Tura parliamentary constituency, the Muslim community has considerable influence over numerous Assembly constituencies, notably Rajabala, Phulbari, Mahendraganj, and Tikrikilla. Of special significance is how they vote. Voting habits and preferences within the community are expected to have had a major factor in determining the election result.
After the Tura legislative elections, there are still unanswered concerns on the effectiveness of fear-mongering strategies and the necessity of having meaningful conversations about important state issues. The criticism from the BJP emphasises the need for election procedures that give real discourse top priority and attend to the electorate's urgent issues.
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