SHILLONG: The sitting MP from Shillong Vincent H Pala has ruled out any possibility of contesting upcoming Lok Sabha election from any other political party if Congress denies him ticket saying “no one has approached me in this regard.”
There were reports if Congress denies ticket to him some political parties are keen to rope in Pala.
“No one has approached me,” Pala told The Shillong Times over phone from Delhi when asked about these reports.He also said that it was upto the Congress High Command to take the final call on the candidate for Shillong seat.
Initially besides Pala, Congress leaders Charles Pyngrope and John Kharshiing were in the race for the Congress ticket.
However, the sudden move of Congress legislator Ronnie Lyngdoh, backed by the AICC and some Congress leaders from the State, to seek ticket, has made the race for Congress ticket interesting.
As far as Tura seat is concerned, there is no change in the original list with eight party aspirants seeking the ticket.
Pyngrope and Kharshiing had, earlier, left it to the wisdom of the High Command to decide on the matter and even made it clear that denial of ticket by the party would not affect them. They had also said that anyone can apply for the party ticket.
Pala also said that it was upto the Election Committee to accept the names of the candidates.
According to Pala, there was nothing wrong in having many party aspirants for the ticket.
Pala said that in the last elections too there were many including Charles Pyngrope, HS Shylla, S S Cajee, and OL Nongtdu who wished to contest in Shillong seat from Congress.
Asked about the ongoing resentment of legislators against him for campaigning against them in the last Assembly elections, Pala said,” Nobody has told me about this and they should have told in front of me if they have such grievances”.
He also said the AICC observer besides meeting him also met the legislators and party workers in Shillong recently to discuss about the Lok Sabha candidates.
To a query on the grievances of the legislators about his style of functioning, Pala said,” I am a human being. I have limitations to please all”.
Asked when will be the announcement of the candidates, Pala said Congress has not fixed the date for announcing the candidates and moreover, none of the political parties have officially announced their candidates.
