CM not averse to contesting from Tura
SHILLONG: Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma has not ruled out the possibility of contesting from the Tura seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
“If there is a directive from the AICC president Sonia Gandhi to contest then I will have to contest. Nothing is impossible until the name of the candidates has been finally declared,” Dr Sangma said while talking to newsmen here on Wednesday.
“We have to be always ready to serve the people under whatever capacity,” Dr Sangma added.
The Chief Minister said that the last time he had contested the Lok Sabha election, the situation was much difficult.
Dr Sangma had contested the Tura Lok Sabha seat unsuccessfully against PA Sangma on two occasions.
As a cabinet minister he had contested against Purno (TMC) in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections only to lose by a margin of 72,763 votes.
Again in 2006, during the by election to Tura seat after PA Sangma resigned following the firing incident during the move of the Government to restructure MBOSE, the then deputy chief minister Dr Sangma was defeated by a margin of over one lakh votes ( 1,01,176).
AICC secretary in-charge Meghalaya in city
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister informed that AICC secretary-in-charge of Meghalaya Vijay Laxmi Sadho is in city to hold a one-to-one discussion with the party legislators and senior leaders to know their feelings on the candidates for the Shillong and Tura Parliamentary seats.
“After meeting with all the party leaders in the State, she (Sadho) would go back and submit a confidential report to the AICC screening committee,” the Chief Minister said.
Dr Sangma also informed that the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) would submit its own report to the AICC screening committee to help them to decide on the candidates for the two Lok Saba seats.
He, however, said that the main criteria for allotment of the ticket is the winability factor.
Meanwhile, Sadho held one-to-one discussions with the Chief Minister, his cabinet colleagues, MPCC leaders on Wednesday evening.
She is scheduled to hold discussions with Block Congress committee leaders from various districts, leaders of various frontal organisations of Congress in the state which includes leaders of youth Congress, Mahila Congress and Congress Seva dal among others tomorrow.
The meeting that began this evening at Hotel Pinewood here has witnessed a visible presence of Congress leaders.
According to sources, the leaders expressed their opinions on those who applied for party ticket.
For Shillong seat, the party High Command has to decide the candidate from among three aspirants – sitting MP Vincent Pala, John F Kharshiing and Charles Pyngrope. For Tura seat there are several aspirants but choice might zero in on Daryl William Cheran Momin, grandson of Capt Williamson Sangma or Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma’s brother Zenith Sangma.