From Our Correspondent
NONGSTOIN: Veteran HSPDP leader and Nongstoin MLA, Hoping Stone Lyngdoh on Wednesday ruled out his retirement from politics.
“I will neither retire before the 2018 polls nor will I abandon the post of the president of HSPDP. Only death can make me quit politics,” the grand old man of Meghalaya politics said.
He was speaking at a felicitation function at New Nongstoin organized by his party supporters on Wednesday.
Claiming that HSPDP is the lone regional party which has genuine aims and objectives designed to protect the rights and traditions of the people of Khasi and Jaintia Hills, Lyngdoh urged the people of West Khasi Hills to support his party in the MDC elections in 2014.
Lyngdoh thanked the people for organising the facilitation and said that he was surprised since this was the first time such a function was being initiated.
“I have been MLA of Nongstoin for 40 years, held the post of MDC for 7 terms during which I was also the CEM and moreover, I served as the MP of Shillong seat for one term,” he reminded the people.
Speaking at the function, HSPDP legislator Ardent Basaiawmoit said, “It is the duty of the party MLAs and MDCs to follow the footsteps of Hoping Stone Lyngdoh. The people of Nongstoin have recognized the person with the cleanest image and elected him yet again.”
Terming Lyngdoh as a ‘king maker’, Basaiawmoit said that he (Hoping Stone) had been responsible for getting many MLAs elected.
Basaiawmoit, however, lamented that most of the MLAs had turned against their ‘mentor’ which resulted in the party’s dismal performance in some of the Assembly constituencies.
“Hoping Stone Lyngdoh has set an example not only for the politicians of Meghalaya but also for the entire country with his clean image. He is the lone MLA who fought the elections without distributing money,” Basaiawmoit asserted.
Besides Basaiawmoit, Rambrai-Jyrngam MLA KP Pangniang, Mawshynrut MLA Witting Mawsor, Mawkyrwat MDC Enbin K Raswai, party leader LG Nongsiej and other senior HSPDP leaders and supporters attended the function.
During the function, the oldest members of the party – B Kharsyntiew and woman leader I Syiem – felicitated Lyngdoh.