Attempt to put up a consensus candidate for LS polls
SHILLONG: Though the major Opposition party, the United Democratic Party, has proposed the name of its legislator Paul Lyngdoh to contest the Shillong Lok Sabha seat, non-Congress parties of the State on Wednesday held a meeting to arrive at a consensus candidate to take on the Congress in the upcoming polls.
The first consultation meeting held at the residence of Leader of Opposition Dr Donkupar Roy on Wednesday to discuss the need to field a common candidate was attended by leaders of the NPP, KHNAM and BJP. HSPDP member Witting Mawsor could not attend the meeting as he was unwell.
Earlier, a section of HSPDP and KHNAM members had favoured the candidature of Rev. PBM Basaiawmoit who will be contesting as a candidate of the People’s Candidate Forum.
KHNAM general secretary Batkupar Wahlang, who was present at the meeting, said that the party decided to attend the meeting to explore the possibility of putting up a common candidate, even though they had announced their support to Basaiawmoit. Besides KHNAM, a section of the HSPDP, with the exception of party chief Hoping Stone Lyngdoh and his supporters, are supporting Basaiawmoit’s candidature from the Shillong Lok Sabha seat.
The meeting also formed a steering committee with Batkupar Wahlang and S Kharajana (both KHNAM), Dr. WR Kharlukhi, Conrad Sangma (NPP), HS Syiemlieh and Dipayan Chakraborty (BJP) and Metbah Lyngdoh and Jemino Mawthoh (UDP) as members.
UDP leader Allantry F Dkhar will be the secretary of the steering committee.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Dkhar said further consultations would be carried out in the due course of time.
“Our goal is to bring all the non-Congress forces together so that we can defeat the Congress candidate,” NPP leader Dr. WR Kharlukhi said after the meeting.