Shillong: Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar pushed back against political attacks in Mawshynrut on Saturday. He wants to separate the National People Party developmental agenda from its alliance with the BJP. The move comes ahead of the upcoming Shillong Lok Sabha by-election.
Dhar spoke at a campaign meeting in Maweit for NPP candidate Dr. DRL Nonglait. He told the crowd that working with the BJP does not impact the religious identity of the party or its members. "Just because we are working with the BJP, does that mean we have to change our religion? That is wrong," Dhar said.
He pointed to the background of his candidate to prove his point. Dr. Nonglait is Presbyterian. Dhar belongs to a different faith himself. He argued that voters must choose between real infrastructure progress and empty rhetoric from the opposition. He dismissed concerns over indigenous identity as hollow slogans.
Dhar used a domestic analogy to illustrate his stance on governance. A father who claims to love his family but leaves them with no rice is not showing love. He said the same logic applies to politicians who talk big but deliver nothing. The government remains focused on building roads and funding local schemes.
Critics claim the government is corrupt and biased. Dhar denied these charges. He stated the NPP provides funding even to constituencies held by UDP and HSPDP legislators. He insists the party does not discriminate with its treasury. A stronger mandate for the NPP will speed up work across the region.
Updated at 7th September 2026 at 6:15pm
NPP candidate Dr. DRL Nonglait is anchoring his campaign on the need for West Khasi Hills to have a direct voice in Parliament. He argued the district has long struggled for adequate representation and claimed the NPP is the only party willing to address this regional void. He noted that if he can pull votes in Jaintia Hills, the home base of the party, he expects even stronger support from his own backyard.
Nonglait touted a list of concrete wins to prove his party delivers where others failed. He pointed to the opening of C&RD blocks at Shallang and Nonglang and ongoing road work on the Nongstoin-Rambrai-Kyrshai route. He also highlighted government milestones such as the Assembly resolutions on the Inner Line Permit and the push to include the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule. Drawing on his time as director of the College Development Council, Nonglait credited the current administration with establishing the state's first medical college, the Shillong Engineering College, and the upcoming nursing colleges, as well as the new State University.
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