Meghalaya: Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh Calls for Political Inclusivity in State as VPP Expands into Garo Hills

With the emergence of the Voice of the People Party (VPP’s) as a prominent regional political party of Meghalaya and VPP spreading its footprint in the Garo Hills region, National People’s Party (NPP) leader and cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh underlined the need for political inclusivity and unity across Meghalaya.

She expressed concerns about regional isolation among political parties, warning that such divisions are detrimental to the state’s progress.

Lyngdoh acknowledged the VPP’s right to operate freely, stating, “If ‘x’ party (VPP) wants to expand its area of operation, nobody can stop it. It is illegal to stop anyone from expanding their area of operation.”

However, she cautioned that the dynamics of such expansions should be carefully considered, referencing past political scenarios that have led to unhealthy divisions in Meghalaya, particularly during the recent Parliamentary elections.

Stating that the isolation of political parties is not a healthy debate for Meghalaya, she advocated for a collaborative approach among parties.

“As far as I remember, there was a very unfortunate scenario during the MP elections which was not very healthy for Meghalaya when political parties isolate themselves regionally. We have seen that even the UDP has from time to time, always tried to expand its operation to throw out the boundaries of Meghalaya. We should not isolate ourselves because then you talk about political divide and political divide is not a very healthy debate to have,” she said.

She urged that the state should function as a unified entity without divisive boundaries.

“I would like to see that the state of Meghalaya operates as the state of Meghalaya. We should not have sites and demarcations which are divisive in nature,” Minister Lyngdoh added.

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