Complacency, outsider tag and dual post helped opponent
SHILLONG: Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh, whose son unsuccessfully contested the by-poll to Sohiong-Nongspung seat, cited varied reasons for the election debacle.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Lyngdoh said slight complacency on his part was one of the reasons for the defeat of his son, Nathaniel Osbert Rymmai. “I was busy canvassing in areas which are not in my Assembly segment and this was a disadvantage for my son,” Lyngdoh said.
He also said that the opponents spread rumours that his son was not from Sohiong as he had spent most part of his life in Shillong.
The Home Minister said that it was for the purpose of his education that his son was away from the constituency and it was not intentional. “He is very young (26 years old), he has just finished his law degree and was concentrating on his studies in Shillong,” Lyngdoh said.
According to Lyngdoh, another reason for the poll defeat could be the fact that people were well aware that it was due to the dual posts issue that he had to quit as MDC.
“In this context, may be the voters preferred one man-one post and did not want any one from the family to be elected as MDC,” he said.
Replying to a query, Lyngdoh said that the by-poll result would not have any impact in the Assembly elections due in 2018.
“The Assembly elections and district council polls are completely different. But I will concentrate more on my constituency and undertake development initiatives,” Lyngdoh said.
HSPDP’s Samlin Malniang, who was a close associate of Lyngdoh in the past, defeated Lyngdoh’s son by a margin of 1,191 votes.