SHILLONG: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday assured a gathering of students and educationists that he was not “tensed” by the recent political developments, after local MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh referred to the ongoing political turmoil and suggested that the Chief Minister must be under pressure.
The assurance came in the middle of an otherwise education-focused programme, where Conrad was speaking about the Education Department, development projects and the importance of investing in the state’s youth.
Responding to Lyngdoh’s reference, Conrad shifted gears and sought to reassure the gathering that he was not tense at all. He said that while things were happening politically, they were taking place within the broader political “compound”.
Using a house analogy, he said his “house” was fine, his people were all there and there was no problem as such. The developments, he indicated, were something the two political sides involved would have to figure out, describing it as more of a headache for them than for him.
Conrad stressed that he wanted to assure those present that he was not in a “tensed mood” and that there was no headache from his point of view.
The timing of the clarification was notable.
The Chief Minister was addressing students, teachers and educationists at a programme involving the laying of foundation stones and development initiatives when he chose to briefly address the political upheaval of the day.
Earlier in his address, Conrad had focused on the challenges facing the Education Department and the government’s efforts to manage them while bringing in necessary changes. He congratulated MBOSE on its milestone and acknowledged the role of local representatives in pursuing development projects in their constituencies.
Referring to Ampareen Lyngdoh, he appreciated her persistence and follow-up, saying development required the government to work together with local representatives while providing the necessary support.
He described Lyngdoh’s work as exceptional and congratulated her for her efforts to transform her constituency.
The political aside came on a day when eight UDP MLAs formally joined the BJP in New Delhi, taking the BJP’s strength in the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly from two to 10 and reducing the UDP from 12 MLAs to four.
Having made his political clarification, Conrad returned to the purpose of the gathering, stressing that the government would continue working with dedication for the people of the state, the Education Department and Meghalaya’s young people, whom he described as the future.
But for those gathered at an education programme, it was the Chief Minister’s unexpected political detour that stood out — and his repeated assurance that, despite the day’s political developments, he was not “tensed at all.”
