SHILLONG: The United Progressive Front (UPF), a coalition within the ruling MDA, will hold discussions with its member and North Shillong MLA, Adelbert Nongrum to convince him to remain in the alliance and vote for the MDA nominee WR Kharlukhi in the upcoming Rajya Sabha election.
UPF member and chairman of the State Planning Board, Lambor Malngiang on Tuesday said, “There are some friends who are not happy but Adelbert Nongrum is part of UPF and though there may be differences, we have to flow together and we don’t want him to be left out of the MDA as he is part and parcel of the MDA.”
The statement came from Malngiang as Nongrum earlier had announced that he would abstain from voting in the election while Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong had dared him to move out of the alliance.
Making it clear that Kharlukhi is the right candidate, he said that the UPF will not change its mind and would go unanimously with the decision of the MDA to support Kharlukhi as the candidate in the election.
“From day one we are in agreement and we cannot do double standard,” he said.
The Opposition Congress is trying to woo ruling MLAs to vote for their candidate by attacking NPP for not opposing Citizenship Amendment Act.
However, Malngiang said that the NPP MP Agatha Sangma had spoken against the CAA in Parliament.
When asked if they would ask Kharlukhi to oppose CAA in the Parliament, he said that he cannot comment anything on the matter since the Act has been already enacted in the Parliament and Kharlukhi’s lone opposition to the Act would not have any impact.
He said all the MPs from the region need to come together and oppose the Act.
When asked if Congress has approached him to support their nominee, he said the opposition party has not made any such attempt.
