MPCC approves 12 names for party tickets
SHILLONG: As expected the State Congress has approved the names of all 12 contenders who have applied for party ticket to contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Shillong and Tura constituencies.
The MPCC election committee which met at the residence of former chief minister D D Lapang, who is also the party chief, here on Thursday decided to forward the name of Mylliem legislator Ronnie V Lyngdoh to the AICC along with other three ticket contenders for the Shillong Parliamentary seat.
The other three ticket aspirants for the Shillong seat include sitting MP Vincent H Pala, the State Planning Board Co-Chairman John Kharshiing and former Assembly Speaker Charles Pyngrope.
The entry of the Mylliem legislator in the ticket race was on the expected line as the party’s election committee had extended the deadline for submission of applications to allow Lyngdoh to apply for the party ticket.
The Election Committee earlier on Monday extended the date for applying for the party ticket for the Shillong Parliamentary seat till February 6.
The Mylliem legislator on Tuesday submitted his application for the ticket.
In the race for the party ticket Lyngdoh has the blessings of MPCC chief DD Lapang and Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma.
Lapang recently defended the name of two-time Congress legislator Ronnie V. Lyngdoh as a candidate for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls from Shillong parliamentary constituency. “We (the party) should not limit to a certain number of contenders,” he said.
“The MPCC Election Committee has decided to forward all four names for the Shillong Parliamentary seat and all the eight names for the Tura Parliamentary seat,” MPCC said in a statement.
She also said that the MPCC also entrusted Lapang and the Chief Minister to convey the opinion of the State election committee to the AICC Screening Committee.
From Tura seat, eight candidates have applied for party ticket with the strong contender being the Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Zenith Sangma and Daryl Momin, the grandson of Capt Williamson Sangma, party sources said.
It may be mentioned that both Lapang and Dr Sangma are members of the AICC Screening Committee.