Shillong, Jan. 13: Electioneering in Meghalaya promises to be a glamourous affair with the cream of Bollywood being roped in by most national parties for campaigning. While the BJP glamour list boasts of names such as Juhi Chawla, Shekhar Suman and actors-turned-politicians Vinod Khanna and Shatrughan Sinha, the Congress list includes the name of former actor-politician Sunil Dutt.
While for the parties “it is a question of who can outshine the other in the race for power”, voters are sceptical. Sanju Pradhan, a voter from Pynthormukhrah, said: “The parties should focus more on the real issues instead of getting into such antics with an eye on the ballot box”. Residents of Shillong are in a way happy as they would be able to see some Bollywood stars perform live.
The BJP has also convinced Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani to campaign for the party in Meghalaya.
Congress president S.C. Marak said party president Sonia Gandhi will kick off the campaign soon after the candidates file the nominations, that is after February 7. He said the Congress would contest all the 60 constituencies. All the 16 sitting Congress MLAs will get party tickets. The names of the candidates will be declared on January 15 in New Delhi by party in-charge of the Northeast, Mani Shanker Aiyar, who will also release the party’s manifesto in Shillong on January 20.
Marak said “good governance and a stable government” would top the party manifesto.