SHILLONG: Four UDP MDCs on Wednesday extended their support to the People’s Democratic Forum (PDF) led by KHADC chief executive member P.N Syiem even as the party high command withdrew support on Monday.
Syiem had on Tuesday said UDP MDCs were not unanimous in withdrawing support to PDF.
The MDCs who defied the party’s stand are Donkupar Sumer, Albinus Lyngdoh, Parliamentary Party (PP) leader of UDP Teinwell Dkhar and Equator Nongrang.
In a letter to Syiem, Sumer said he was supporting the KHADC coalition on the ground that party cannot interfere in its MDC’s decision as the district council is an autonomous body.
Sumer also referred to an incident in the past when UDP’s Bindo Lanong had supported the then CEM H.S Shylla (Congress) stating the same logic while Lanong’s colleague, Harding Massar, stayed out of the Executive Committee.
The UDP MDC said the Council is a “party-less institution”.
The UDP has six MDCs in the KHADC. Sumer and Lyngdoh are Executive Members in various KHADC departments, and Rona Khymdeit and Dkhar are chairpersons in the PDF coalition. The other two Council members are Shylla and Nongrang from Nongkrem and Mairang constituencies, respectively. Syiem said he was waiting for Khymdeit’s response. About Shylla, the CEM said he is not a part of the coalition.
When contacted, Shylla said it is difficult for any MDC to come out from the ruling coalition when the KHADC has a revengeful CEM.
He alleged that the file pertaining to schemes worth Rs 1.12 crore, which have been approved, and new schemes worth Rs 1.5 crore for Nongkrem is still with Syiem.
Syiem received the letter of withdrawing support to his Executive Committee on Tuesday evening from UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh.
‘MDCs sidelined’
Teinwell Dkhar on Wednesday alleged that UDP leaders sidelined the party’s MDCs while deciding on withdrawing support to PDF.
When contacted, Dkhar said, “The letter to withdraw support was sent by the party general secretary and not from the PP leadership. I wonder if this is the rule or the procedure.”
Claiming that they were clueless about the development in the party fold, he said, “We came to know from media reports that the withdrawal letter has been sent by the general secretary. We did not even receive a copy of the letter.”
Dkhar added that the UDP MDCs have not even met the KHADC CEM. “The UDP leaders have sidelined us as we came to know only from media reports that the withdrawal letter has been sent.”
