Shillong, June 8: National People’s Party (NPP) leader and former legislator James Pangsang Kongkal (P.K.) Sangma on Monday filed his nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections before Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Secretary and Returning Officer Malthus S. Sangma.
James P.K. Sangma, the official candidate of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), was accompanied by Chief Minister and NPP National President Conrad K. Sangma, Cabinet Ministers, MLAs, and leaders of alliance partners during the filing of his nomination. Representatives of all MDA alliance partners, including the United Democratic Party (UDP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP), and independent MLAs, were present to extend their support to his candidature.
Speaking to reporters after filing his nomination, Sangma thanked Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, Deputy Chief Ministers Prestone Tynsong and Sniawbhalang Dhar, MLAs, and alliance partners for unanimously backing his candidature. He said that if elected to the Rajya Sabha, he would actively raise long-pending issues concerning Meghalaya and ensure that the state’s voice is heard in Parliament. Sangma also expressed gratitude for being chosen as the MDA candidate and said he was ready to shoulder any responsibility entrusted to him. He noted that the decision to field him for the Rajya Sabha seat was reached through consensus among all alliance partners.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said the NPP candidate, if elected, would play an active role in legislative debates and take up issues of importance to the people of Meghalaya in the Upper House. “We expect the MP to act as a bridge between the state government and the Central government on various issues that the state needs to pursue. I am confident he will discharge that responsibility,” the Chief Minister said. He further stated that the new Rajya Sabha MP would pursue the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) and other pending issues concerning the state. “As a government and as a party, we have ensured that these matters are taken up aggressively,” he said.
The Chief Minister added that the elected MP would play a crucial role in pursuing key state issues, including the inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, matters relating to the Sixth Schedule, amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), illegal immigration, the Inner Line Permit, and the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA). “The MP will play a very critical role in pushing our concerns at Parliament and at the level of the Government of India,” Conrad Sangma added.
