RS bye-election
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: It is more or less confirmed that National Commission for Women (NCW) member Wansuk Syiem would be the official nominee of the Congress to contest the bye-election to fill up the vacant Rajya Sabha seat from Meghalaya.
Party sources on Wednesday informed that a consensus has been reached among the party leadership on the name of Syiem as the official nominee of the Congress for the April 18 bye-election.
The sources informed that the party leadership had also considered the names of former DGP BK Dey Sawian and John F Kharshiing.
However, both Sawian and Kharshiing were finally overlooked on the ground that they were new entrants to the party, the sources said. When asked about former Assembly Speaker Charles Pyngrope, the sources informed that Pyngrope’s name was very much in the reckoning.
“But it seems that the party leadership is more inclined to nominate the NCW member (Syiem) as the official nominee of the Congress,” the sources added.
When contacted, Syiem said that she would happily accept any offer from the party leadership to contest the upcoming bye-poll for the Rajya Sabha seat.
“I have never rejected any responsibility given by the party in the past. As a party loyalist I would gracefully accept any assignment the party gives me,” Syiem said while speaking to The Shillong Times over phone from Delhi on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, sources also informed that Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma left for Delhi on Wednesday to meet AICC leaders to discuss issues relating to the Rajya Sabha bye-election.