UDP comes under Ardent attack
SHILLONG: With the daggers now out between All Regional Parties Alliance (ARPA) partners UDP and HSPDP – KHNAM combine, the days of the fledgling KHADC could now be numbered.
Chief Executive Member (CEM) of KHADC Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit himself expressed this doubt on Monday when he said, talking to newspersons in Shillong, that while the UDP had been maintaining that they would see ARPA last the full term, statements and comments which were emerging from leaders of the party indicated otherwise.
The HSPDP leader said it looked like there was a section of the leaders of the UDP who did not want the present EC to last. It would be sad if the EC collapsed even before it accomplished its mission, he pointed out.
“I have been forced to react since it looks like that I am hungry to hold on to the chair. I want to make it clear that I am ready to vacate the post of the CEM anytime if the situation arises,” the CEM, who is also the HSPDP vice president, said.
Basaiawmoit criticized UDP leaders for claiming in their campaign in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election in the State that the UDP was responsible for making him the CEM of KHADC. “I am surprised to see the UDP is making such misleading statement. I have been chosen to become the CEM because the HSPDP is the single largest party from among the three coalition partners of ARPA.”
He asked whether UDP would allow HSPDP to occupy the chair of the CEM if the latter managed to win only two seats. “It is illogical on the part of the UDP to make such false claims.” He said that the UDP is trying to project him in a very wrong way in the eyes of the public.
He said that the main agenda of his Executive Committee is to clean up the mess which is prevailing in the Council.
“We are here with a mission to see there is total transparency and accountability in the functioning of the Council. We are here to serve as per the mandate of the people,” Basaiawmoit said.
Basaiawmoit said UDP candidate for the Shillong seat Paul Lyngdoh should not make personal remarks against him. “In his election campaign, it is really sad that Lyngdoh has been making personal attacks against me,” the HSPDP leader said.
He said the UDP candidate had accused that the CEM was the only one who had opposed having him as the common candidate of the regional parties since he was supporting his own uncle and independent candidate Rev PBM Basaiawmoit in the Shillong seat.
‘I want to clarify that this is an attempt on the part of the UDP candidate to create confusion in the minds of the people. The fact is that in the last 2009 Parliament election, I had supported UDP nominee John Kharshiing when he was with the party at that point of time,” Basaiawmoit said.
He blamed the UDP for the failure of the regional parties to arrive at an agreement in having a common candidate. “We had proposed a few names from among the UDP leaders to be the consensus candidate. But they rejected to our proposal. We cannot be held responsible for the blunder committed by the UDP,” Basaiawmoit said.
“Rev Basaiawmoit is very much our candidate. We would go all out to ensure his victory,” the CEM said, denying the claim of UDP that HSPDP and KHNAM would not support Rev Basaiawmoit as they had not fielded their own party nominee.