SHILLONG, Mar 7 (TNN): Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma on Tuesday congratulated the people of Manipur for “reposing faith” in the ruling Congress despite “provocations”. Speaking to the TOI after the party registered a decisive victory in the neighbouring state, Sangma said: “This reflects the conviction of the people to strengthen democracy. They have shown impeccable maturity.” Commenting on the diktat issued by insurgents groups to the electorate of Manipur not to vote for the Congress, Sangma, who leads a Congress-led coalition government, said: “Democracy cannot be dictated upon”.
Taking a dig at Radhabinod Koijam, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former chief minister, who lost the assembly elections, Sangma said this happened because he “shifting allegiance” from the Congress. “We must fulfill our responsibilities and people must have faith and confidence in us. If we fail in that, the people will always have other options,” Mukul said when asked as to what lesson his party could draw from the recent election results keeping in view the coming assembly elections in Meghalaya in 2013. “The party which delivers will be victorious,” he stressed.
Asked if the poor showing of the Congress in other states was because of a dearth in local-level leadership, Mukul, one of the youngest chief ministers in the country, said: “Congress has the luxury of having a galaxy of local leaders and there is no dearth of leadership. They are all very capable. After every election, the party leadership carries out complete analyses as to what might have gone wrong and decides the best strategy for the future,” he said.