By Ronald Stone Syiem
NONGSTOIN: There are five aspirants for the party ticket from the 32-Nongstoin constituency for the 2013 assembly election.
The five aspirants are David Marwein (retd) Deputy Director of Supply, West Khasi Hills District, BK Bani, businessman, Morningstar Tympun, businessman, Macmillan Kharbani, businessman and N Nongdkhar ex-MDC from Nongstoin constituency and the present President of Nongstoin Block Congress Committee (NBCC).
But sources in the Congress say that the ticket may go to a rank outsider, Dr Advisor Pariong, sitting HSPDP MLA from the 33-Pariong constituency. Pariong, apparently is very close to the Congress party leadership.
It is learnt that of the five contestants David Marwein is said to stand a better chance than his other rivals. In the meantime, a veteran Congress leader, on anonymity, told this scribe that if the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) allots the party ticket to an outsider, the Nongstoin Block Congress will fragment as party workers will go their own way.
After the delimitation, seven polling stations previously under Pariong are now attached to Nongstoin. There are approximately 3000 Congress party supporters under those polling stations. These party workers are already determined not to support the Congress party if Pariong is given the party ticket for the 2013 election.
These party workers feel that the MPCC should allot the ticket to one of the five contenders who are already Congress party members.
Political experts feel that David Marwein stands a good chance of winning the 2013 election as he an experienced administrator. In the last Assembly election in 2008, Marwein secured the second highest number of votes after the HSPDP candidate, HS Lyngdoh, even though he contested as an Independent candidate.
Another senior Congress worker said that if the Congress does not allot the ticket to David Marwein it will be committing a huge blunder because after the delimitation of constituencies the chances of HS Lyngdoh winning the next election is slim.
It appears that this time there will be triangular fight between the HSPDP, Congress and United Democratic Party (UDP) but many feel that if the Congress errs while giving the party ticket the UDP has better chances at winning the Nongstoin seat.
Interestingly in the political history of West Khasi Hills, the HSPDP has always enjoyed mass support but in recent times due to the short-sightedness and lack of vision of the octogenarian politician Hopingstone Lyngdoh, many have deserted the party.
Sources from the ground say that the people of West Khasi Hills are ready for change and want development, not rhetoric.