From Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi: Veteran Congress leader from Rajabala, Garo Hills, Sayeedullah Nongrum, on Sunday vehemently denied that he had any links with the rebel Nongkrem legislator Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit of the UDP or having persuaded him to oppose the candidature of (Dr.) Md Mizanur Rheman Kazi as rumoured.
Talking to The Shillong Times here Nongrum asserted that all along he has remained a Congress leader winning the Rajabala seat as many as three times, twice as party candidate.
“It is natural that this time too I will try to contest from the same constituency and from the same party whoever may be the opposition candidate,” the Rajabala MLA confided.
“Congress is a national party and will take its own decision and UDP will take its own,” the former Minister said, adding, “Why should I suggest who should be the candidate from the other party?” Nongrum was here to attend the national meeting of the Central WAKF Council convened by the Union Minister for Minority Affairs K Rahman Khan.
UDP is contemplating to expel Basaiawmoit after he failed to respond to a show-cause notice issued by the leadership to come clear whether he will contest from the party in the Assembly elections early next year, after he expressed doubt about the ideology of the party.
The party is meeting on Monday for a final decision on this vexed issue.
There were unconfirmed reports that the UDP firebrand leader, who had criticised UDP leader Dr Donkupar Roy for issuing party ticket to Dr Kazi to contest from Rajabala constituency, is planning to quit the party to contest the upcoming Assembly elections from the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP).
While questioning the anti-tribal stand of the legislator, the source said that the party had received a report about his close links with the sitting Congress MLA (Nongrum), ‘who has persuaded Basaiawmoit to oppose the allotment of the UDP ticket to Dr Kazi’.
“The move of the UDP to allot the party ticket to Dr Kazi is aimed at reducing the chances of Nongrum who has been winning the Rajabala seat banking on minority Muslim votes,” the source said.
It is believed that Dr Kazi would pose a serious threat to Nongrum’s chances of retaining the seat in the upcoming Assembly election. But Nongrum vowed that he is winning the Rajbala seat consecutively for three successive terms. “I am with the people irrespective of their ethnic or communal identity and have stood by them all through my term, whether rain or sun, and hence sure of their unstinted support,” he added.