Candidature of Malngiang, War cleared
SHILLONG: The MPCC State Election Committee (SEC) on Monday cleared the candidature of two sitting MDCs-Lambor Malngiang and Antonio War– to contest from Nongkrem and Laitumkhrah-Malki constituencies respectively while Thaddeus Mawrie was named as the candidate for Nongthymmai constituency for the upcoming district council elections scheduled to be held on February 24.
The candidates for 26 out of the 29 seats in the KHADC were announced on Thursday last.
War and Malngiang’s candidatures were finally cleared along with the candidates for the 29 seats in the JHADC. However, both were summoned by the party leadership for their alleged anti-party activities during the meeting of the SEC on Monday.
As per reports, the duo was asked to sign some papers before the decision to allot them the party ticket was finalised.
In the 2009 polls, Malngiang was elected from Nongkrem on a KHNAM ticket. Later, he defected to Congress. Malngiang is one of the few MDCs who had opposed the Delimitation Bill after it was passed by the Congress-led KHADC Executive Committee.
War, on the other hand had allegedly campaigned for Congress nominee from East Shillong constituency Ampareen Lyngdoh’s opponent during the last Assembly election.
“Yes, both were asked to sign a paper giving an assurance that they would not indulge in any kind of anti-party activity in future,” a senior MPCC functionary said.
MPCC president DD Lapang while talking to newsmen after the meeting said that the announcement of the candidates for Nongkrem and Laitumkhrah-Malki constituencies had been kept pending since some necessary formalities had to be completed.
The MPCC chief said winnability factor was given priority while selecting candidates.
Among the prominent names which feature in the list of candidates for the JHADC include two former CEMs of the Council Lamdibok Sumer and Hambertus Nongtdu.
Lapang justifies decision to deny ticket to former UDP men
Lapang has justified decision of the party to deny ticket to the sitting MDCs who have switched their allegiance from UDP to Congress.
“We have not made any assurance of giving the party ticket to those MDCs who have shifted allegiance to Congress. The arrangement we have arrived at was they would be given responsibilities in various capacities in the Council,” Lapang told newsmen here on Monday.
While maintaining that the party leadership cannot assure a party ticket to anyone, he said, “The decision on allotment of the ticket is taken after receiving the recommendations of the party units at the block and district levels. The leaders at the top cannot go against the voice of the people at the grass root level,” the MPCC president said. Lapang also stated that the sitting MDCs who have made the transition from UDP to Congress have failed to develop a connection with party workers at the grass root level. The Congress has denied tickets to four sitting MDCs of the KHADC- Rasor Rani (Mairang), Ostril Pamshong (Mawhati), Arist Rani (Jirang) and Fabian Lyngdoh (Umroi).
When asked as to why the party has allotted the ticket to Health and Family Welfare Minister AL Hek’s nephew Rocky Hek who is a new entrant, the MPCC chief said that majority of the members of the block have recommended his name for the candidature.
“It does not matter whether he is new entrant if he is strong contender to win the election. There is no justification to allot the ticket to a loyal Congressman if he is not a potential winner,” Lapang said.
Instead of Betbok Marbaniang who had served the party for the last 25 years, the party had allotted the ticket to Hek’s nephew for Mawkhar-Pynthorumkhrah seat which has created a discontentment among loyal Congress workers in the constituency.
On the reason for the party allotting the ticket to those aspirants who were denied ticket in the last Assembly election, he said that the party has realized its mistake of not allotting tickets to them.
It may be mentioned that the party has given a nod to Banteidor Lyngdoh and Kimfa S Marbaniang to contest from Mawkynrew and Rambrai-Jyrngam constituencies respectively.Both Lyngdoh and Marbaniang had contested the last Assembly elections as independent candidates.
“The two (Lyngdoh and Marbaniang) were re-admitted to the party after extensive exercise,” Lapang said while also assuring that the duo would remain in the Congress as long as they wanted to be in the party.