From Our Correspondent
NONGPOH: The United Democratic Party (UDP) youth wing of Ri-Bhoi district had slammed Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief DD Lapang for not filing complaints against ticket aspirants who had made monetary offers to him.
The Youth Wing was reacting to claims by Lapang that he had been offered ‘large sums of money’ in return for party tickets by several aspirants from Ri-Bhoi district.
It may be noted that Congress ticket aspirants from Ri-Bhoi district include the likes of top businessmen and coal barons like Nehlang Lyngdoh (Umsning), Ngaitlang Dhar (Umroi) and Barnabast Nangbah and Wallambok Mylliemngap (Jirang).
“If he (Lapang) had been offered crores of rupees for allotting party ticket then he should have lodged complaints against those aspirants for attempting to bribe him,” UDP youth wing working president, Rayonald Kharkamni, said while speaking to this scribe on Thursday.
“These ticket aspirants are ready to pay as much as twenty crore rupees for the ticket and they would need another 10 to 15 crore rupees for election campaigning. If they win from their constituencies they will receive the MLA scheme for 5 year worth only Rs 5 crore. They would then surely resort to corrupt practices to recover the amount they had spent in the election,” he added. The party also demanded that Lapang must lodge complaints against all ticket aspirants who had tried to bribe him so that stern action can be taken against them.
“However, if Lapang keeps him mouth shut, then we would know that the MPCC chief has been hiding something behind,” Kharkamni said.
Lapang misinterpreted: MPCC
The Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Thursday stated that the comments of MPCC chief DD Lapang that he was offered huge amount of money for allotment of party ticket was misleading and misinterpreted by the media.
In a statement issued here on Thursday, the MPCC said the selection of names is made on the basis of winnability irrespective of the position and status of the candidate.
The statement reiterated that the party takes into consideration the opinion of the party functionaries at all levels, right from the primary units to the BCCs and the DCCs.
After getting the views from the primary units, BCCs and DCCs, the MPCC through its election committee and state election coordination committee led by CWC member in charge Meghalaya, Dhaniram Shandil, would forward the names to the AICC for final approval, the statement added.
“In this entire process, the yardstick taken dwells more than qualitative aspect of the personality, commitment to the ideals of the party and winnability,” the statement said, adding that the MPCC chief is not the final authority to allot the party ticket.