By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: MDP chief Martle N Mukhim exuded confidence that people of Mawkynrew this time will send him to Assembly “since the incumbent MLA has done nothing for overall development of the constituency in the last five years.”
“The wave is blowing in my favour,” Mukhim, who is also a former Minister, said after filing his nomination here on Tuesday.
“People have realized that they made a mistake by not electing me in the last election,” Mukhim said.
Mukhim, who represented Dienglieng constituency for 20 years from 1988 to 2008, is seeking re-election from Mawkynrew, a newly created constituency after delimitation.
Mukhim lost the 2008 assembly polls from Dienglieng only by 66 votes to UDP’s Remington Pyngrope, a businessman.
When ask why he lost the last Assembly election, he said the primary factor which led to his defeat was that he was busy campaigning for other candidates and could not devote time for himself.
According to him, the other reason was the use of money power by his opponent.
Mawkynrew will witness a multi-cornered contest. Besides Mukhim, other contestants are the sitting UDP legislator (Pyngrope), Congress nominee Drosing Khongjoh and Banteidor Lyngdoh (Independent).
Embhah Syiemlieh attacks opponents: Meanwhile, UDP candidate from Mawlai Embhah Syiemlieh has come down heavily on his opponents who, according him, were trying to defame him.
“I am aware that my opponents are spreading rumours that I am trying to garner votes on religious lines. They are coming up with such cheap allegations they have nothing to speak against me,” Syiemlieh said while speaking to reporters after filing his nomination on Tuesday.
While stating that this is an act of desperation of his opponent, the UDP candidate said that his opponents are not happy since as an MDC he has managed to bring more developments when compared to the sitting Congress MLA Founder Strong Cajee.
“In his achievement report, I am really surprises to see that he (Cajee) claims that he has managed to bring more than Rs 50 crore for the development of the constituency. But there is nothing in the ground,” Syiemlieh said.
Since he wanted to fight against the evils of corruption he joined the fray.
“As an MDC, I have tried to implement my scheme in a transparent manner. I have also donated my salaries towards development of the constituency,” the UDP candidate said while assuring that he would do the same if he is elected as an MLA.
When asked about the decision of the senior UDP leader and former Mawlai legislator SD Khongwir to support Cajee, he said that he was not aware about such development.
“I would really love to see Khongwir campaigning for me in this election. It would give a huge boost to my prospect,” Syiemlieh added.
Besides the sitting Congress legislator, the UDP candidate would face a stiff challenge from independent candidate Teibor Pathaw and KHNAM president Pyndapborthiaw Saiborne.