Race for ticket hots up in Mawhati
MAWHATI: With the election to the Autonomous District Councils barely five months away, the race for party tickets in the various political parties has started, especially in the Congress, the majority party in the State.
In Mawhati constituency of Ri Bhoi District, there are two strong contenders for the Congress ticket for the MDC polls – James Sylliang and RB Shadap.
While Sylliang alias Bob is an ex-HNLC man, having joined the outfit in 1998 and then surrendered without arm on March 16, 2004, Shadap is the president of Synjuk Ki Rangbah Shnong Ri Bhoi and a prominent church elder.
At the moment, Sylliang seems to have a slight edge over Shadap since he has the backing of the leaders of the two wings of the Mawhati Block Congress Committee (MBCC) viz., the Youth Wing and the Mahila Wing.
Though the Congress leadership is tightlipped over the candidate’s name, political observers have pointed out that a precedent has already been set in Mawhati Assembly constituency with surrendered HNLC chairman Julius K Dorphang elected to the State Assembly as Independent, and Sylliang was attempting to toe the footstep of his former militant chief.
The Mawhati Block Congress Committee (MBCC) had appointed a search committee comprising of 20 members to finalize the name of the candidate for recommendation to the Ri Bhoi District Congress Committee and then to the party high command.
Insiders revealed that PW Muktieh, the MBCC president, is favouring Sylliang over Shadap for his own political gains. Sources pointed out that if the party allots the ticket to Sylliang, he would surely lose, thus, clearing the way for Muktieh to seek the ticket for the next Assembly polls in the State.
The former Congress MLA (Muktieh) is of the opinion that Shadap, being the head of a traditional institution and also a respected church elder, can sway the important leaders in the constituency towards him which will ensure his success, the sources said, adding that if Shadap comes to power as an MDC, then there is no doubt that Muktieh would be the party candidate for the next assembly election.
At present, the constituency is represented by Otril Pamshong who was elected as MDC on a UDP ticket and later joined the Congress, since horse trading is still prevalent in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council due to the squashing of the Council’s Anti-Defection Act by the court.
Notably, Pamshong, in the recent concluded Assembly election (February) pledged his support as well as the support of his 3000 supporters to the surrendered HNLC chairman Julius Dorphang who contested and won as an Independent candidate in his maiden attempt at politics.
Dorphang defeated two political big wigs of the constituency – former UDP MLA Donbok Khymdeit and former Congress MLA PW Muktieh. Dorphang, after winning the election, decided to support the Congress in the formation of the Government under the banner of MUA-II.
Whether Dorphang repays Pamshong by supporting him in the forthcoming MDC election or whether he would ‘bless’ his former ‘comrade-in-arms’ or whether he will supports the Congress candidate, being a part and parcel of the MUA-II Government, is a crucial question whose answer will decide the fate of the next Mawhati MDC.
