Shillong: The Congress party is fighting on two fronts in Meghalaya. MPCC secretary Manuel Badwar warned that the BJP’s recent growth will not secure electoral wins in the 2028 Assembly elections. Despite the BJP adding eight former UDP legislators to its ranks, Badwar insists the grassroots voter remains unimpressed by political re-alignments. He argues the electorate assesses parties by their national performance rather than local seat counts.
Badwar attacked the BJP’s national conduct, specifically calling out the handling of recent CTP protests. He pointed to detentions and the removal of Instagram accounts as signs that democratic institutions are weakening. "The 2028 Assembly elections, he said, could prove a defining moment for Meghalaya’s political trajectory, though he maintained that the BJP would not achieve a significant breakthrough in the state."
The Congress also turned its fire on the Meghalaya government regarding the long-running border dispute with Assam. Badwar accused the administration of putting these negotiations on the back burner. The constant delays hurt people in border regions, he said. These residents rely on farming to survive, yet their futures remain tied to a process that seems to have lost momentum.
Badwar questioned why the government initiated the boundary exercise if it had no intention of finishing the job. He claimed the process serves private interests rather than the public good. He urged Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma to take accountability for the stalled talks. The party maintains that the government cannot abandon a process it started for political optics while ordinary citizens suffer the consequences of ongoing uncertainty.
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