KHNAM, HSPDP’s refusal to support UDP candidate
SHILLONG: While backing their decision to support Common People’s Front (CMF) candidate Rev PMB Basaiawmoit in the upcoming Lok Sabha election, KHNAM and HSPDP are now preparing for the possibility of the KHADC collapsing because of UDP’s withdrawal from All Regional Parties Alliance (ARPA) as a retaliatory move.
“Even if the UDP decides to withdraw from ARPA, we would not regret since we will not back out of our decision to support Rev Basaiawmoit,” KHNAM working president Adelbert Nongrum has asserted to newsmen recently.
Earlier, UDP president Dr Donkupar Roy had, however, assured that the party would like to see APRA last for the full term in the KHADC. “We are not going to withdraw our support from ARPA only because KHNAM and HSPDP refused to back our candidate,” Dr Roy had said.
“Our top priority is to safeguard the interest of the indigenous people. We would not compromise on this at any cost. We cannot keep our political interest above interest of the people,” Nongrum has said. The stability of ARPA in the KHADC is a secondary issue for KHNAM, according to him. “Otherwise, we will be answerable to the people.”
Echoing similar views, HSPDP leader and Mawshynrut legislator Witting Mawsor said that the HSPDP was not hungry for power.
“We are committed to take up issues to protect the interest of the local indigenous people. We anticipate the decision to support Rev Basaiamoit might have a serious repercussion on the alliance at the KHADC,” Mawsor said. Even if this happened, they would not regret since they had decided to back a candidate who can really contribute to overall interest of the local indigenous people.
“We had said that we would support the UDP if they agreed to our proposal to field either Bindo Mathew Lanong or Jemino Mawthoh. But the UDP is rigid in its stand as it has decided to stick to its decision of fielding its working president Paul Lyngdoh,” HSPDP and KHNAM had earlier stated.