Tura: Meghalaya BJP vice-president Bernard N. Marak and Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma might become friends again, but not for now.
Once colleagues in the National People’s Party (NPP)-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government, the two are going head-to-head this election, contesting from the South Tura Assembly constituency in West Garo Hills district. Conrad is president of the NPP.
Apart from South Tura, the electoral fight on 27 February will see two coalition partners — the NPP and BJP — face off in 56 seats.
In Meghalaya, alliance partners have contested against each other in the past as well.
Speaking to ThePrint in Tura Thursday, Marak said he was standing against the person (Conrad) who had “falsely implicated” him of running a “sex racket” at his farmhouse in Tura — the political epicentre of Meghalaya.
ThePrint reached the NPP for a statement from the chief minister but received no response till the filing of this report. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
In July 2022, Marak was arrested and spent almost four months in jail. Out on bail, he is not only contesting elections, but is confident that his party will win in double digits.
In 2018, the BJP had won just two seats, but managed the numbers for the NPP-led coalition government in Meghalaya.
“I always told myself — do the right thing, have faith in God, and keep moving. That was basically what I did when I was arrested, implicated, and put in custody for 40 days. Almost four months, I prayed, kept myself strong and today, I forgive the people who have actually implicated me,” said Marak.
Drawing a comparison between father and son, Marak said Conrad is very different from his father and former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno Agitok Sangma. “I was one of those who respected P.A. Sangma. But in the past five years, I have seen that Conrad is just the opposite of his father. P.A. Sangma cared for the people. Today, when I see Conrad and his father on the same banner, I see two opposite figures.”
According to him, Conrad Sangma has never focused on the actual dreams of his father. “He never took responsibility as a public leader. But as an NPP leader, he was always more focused on strengthening his party.”
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‘Potential threat’
According to Marak, he was a “potential threat” for the CM in South Tura.
“Conrad knew I was the only person who could defeat him, and he knew that I helped him win the last election. I did a lot for him — protected him from opposition criticism and also other things. Two days before the election, I told him I would get the youth who were supporters of opposition leaders in Tura. And I did. But he was ungrateful,” said the BJP leader.
However, he asserted there will come a time when he would talk with Conrad again. “I don’t talk to him. I have made a decision to live up to the aspirations of my people, who have been betrayed by him. My time will come to talk. I am more focused on winning this seat.”
According to Marak, it is both personality and party image that play a role in electoral politics.
“I am not a leader, but a grassroots worker. Even during my militancy days, I have always voiced against corruption, I have tried to bring out facts that people are facing on the ground, and I chose to continue this fight politically by joining the BJP. As a grassroots leader, my presence among people counts a lot and the support from senior party leaders is a clear picture to the people of Garo Hills that the BJP is not with Conrad anymore, it is with Bernard,” he said.
In December 2014, two Garo militant organisations — the Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) led by Dilash Marak and ANVC-B, its break-away faction, led by Bernard N Marak — signed a tripartite ceasefire agreement and surrendered arms before then chief minister Mukul Sangma and his cabinet colleagues.
Marak claimed that he received complaints from parents in his area of “NPP workers distributing liquor and money, even to minors”.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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