SHILLONG: Having awarded the ticket to former legislator PK Raswai for the upcoming district council polls, the UDP Ranikor Circle is hopeful of a turnaround of their fortune.
Raswai had lost the 2013 Assembly election from the constituency to sitting MLA Martin M Danggo by a narrow margin of 455 votes. Danggo secured 9189 votes compared to 8734 votes garnered by Raswai.
In the 2008 Assembly election, Danggo had defeated UDP candidate Khrang Lyngkhoi by a huge margin of over 4000 votes. Lyngkhoi, however, fared better in the 2009 district council polls. He lost the election to sitting MDC Manstudy Nongrem (Congress) having secured only 400 less votes.
“Taking into figures into account shows that the sitting MDC is not as influential as Danggo,” UDP Ranikor Circle secretary GG Bung told newsmen on Tuesday.
He said that the sitting MDC (Nongrem) is facing a formidable opponent in the form of PK Raswai who has represented the constituency both as an MLA and an MDC.
“We are sure that the UDP would win the Ranikor seat this time,” Bung said with confidence.
The UDP leader said that anti-incumbency factor would also affect the chance of the sitting MDC who has failed to deliver despite having represented for two consecutive terms.When asked about the discontentment among senior UDP leaders in the Circle over the allotment of the ticket to Raswai, Bung expressed confidence that it would not make any difference since party workers in Ranikor are eager for party’s victory this time.
