By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The United Democratic Party (UDP) on Monday suffered a jolt when the members of its Nongkrem circle resigned from the party enmasse opposing the leadership’s ‘anti-tribal’ stand.
The UDP’s Nongkrem Circle has been opposing the party’s decision to filed Dr Muhammad Mizanur Rehman Kazi , a non-tribal, to contest the 2013 Assemble elections from Rajabala.
The decision to resign from the party was taken at a public meeting held at Laitkor. A large number of UDP supporters from Nongkrem constituency attended the meeting.
The party leadership was earlier given 10-day deadline to clarify its stand on fielding a non-tribal as a candidate.
“As it appears, the UDP has no love for the indigenous people,” the president UDP Nongkrem-Youth Wing Ronicus Kharkongor said while urging the local MLA Ardent Basaiawmoit to resign from the party and join other regional party.
“The UDP, which leaders claim to be a regional party, has violated its fundamental nature by fielding a non-tribal candidate”, Holand Kharrngi, who is known to be Basaiawmoit’s supporter, said.
Basaiawmoit, the president of the UDP’s Nongkrem circle, however, was conspicuously absent at the meeting.
Though no decision was taken on their future course of action, the UDP members expressed their willingness to join HSPDP under the leadership of Nongstoin MLA Hoping Stone Lyngdoh.
Speakers at the meeting hinted that Basaiawmoit would contest the 2013 election from HSPDP.