All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev on Tuesday expressed confidence that Meghalaya Congress leader Mukul Sangma would return as the chief minister, citing the “instability” track record of the current dispensation.Sushmita said this while campaigning in South West Garo Hills district for Mukul’s eldest daughter, Miani D. Shira, the Congress nominee for Ampati bypoll slated for May 28.
After addressing a poll campaign at Joyfur village near here, Sushmita said that she was confident that Ampati would elect Miani.
“During my interaction with people, I got the feeling that they are very connected to Mukul Sangma as he has done a lot for Ampati,” The Telegraph quoted Sushmita as saying.
Mukul Sangma has won six consecutive polls from Ampati since 1993. She said people pointed out to her that the present government would not work as its track record in providing stability to Meghalaya was very poor.
On regional parties aligning with the BJP to take on the Congress in the Northeast, she said, “I feel northeastern states always feel the pressure of the Centre because of special provisions for the Northeast, the way it is financed.” However, she said, this phenomena was “temporary”.
“People of Assam are already unhappy with the BJP government. The same is going to happen in Meghalaya and in Tripura,” she said.
She said the Congress would bounce back to power at the Centre in 2019 because of a “huge anti-incumbency” factor in many BJP-ruled states.
She declined to comment on the citizenship bill, being a member of the joint parliamentary committee on the bill.