Cobbler joins battle
A cobbler is among the 297 candidates who have filed their nomination till date. Mathiwly Nongrem, filed his nomination alongside stalwarts in Nongstoin on Tuesday.
“Lack of development here (in Nongstoin) for the last 40 years forced me to take this decision,” Nongrem said. He first approached the BJP for the party ticket, as he was its active member for many years. However, on being refused, the cobbler’s resolve to contest in the February 23 Assembly grew stronger.
A big fan of Hopingstone Lyngdoh, Mathiwly admitted that HSPDP victory is inevitable and that his aim was to diminish NPP’s vote share.
A resident of Nongpyndeng in Nongstoin passed HSLC from the here following which he opted out of academics. In his desire to become self-reliant Mathiwly went to Orissa, where he learnt how to make shoes and other kinds of footwear.
Later he returned to Nongstoin to utilize his newly acquired skill.
Over 100 Independents in fray
Over a hundred candidates are contesting as Independents in the February 23 polls.
Out of 297 candidates so far in fray till Tuesday, as many as 115 are Independents.
There are more than one Independent contesting in many of the constituencies in the State.
Almost all those who were denied party tickets by the Congress are contesting as Independents.
