CM hosts dinner, appeals for Kumar

SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Sunday hosted a dinner at his official residence and urged the MUA-II partners to vote for UPA candidate Meira Kumar in the presidential polls on Monday .
CLP secretary Kennedy Khyriem said on the eve of the polls that during the get-together, a request was made by the chief minister to the CLP members and coalition partners to vote for the UPA candidate.
“We have not issued any official letter or direction to any member as freedom is given to each individual MLA to cast his or her votes without any compulsion,” Khyirem said.
He said the meeting was attended by Congress legislators, six independent members and NCP MLAs and few MLAs were out of station.
Among the opposition parties in the State, UDP is maintaining secrecy over whom it would vote during the presidential polls on Monday, NPP will support NDA presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind and HSPDP will abstain from voting.
When contacted on Sunday, NPP member James Sangma said, “We have already made it clear that our party will support Kovind.”
NPP is an ally of the NDA government led by BJP.
UDP president Donkupar Roy said, “Before the voting starts, all the MLAs will have a meeting to decide whom to vote.”
On the other hand, HSPDP president Ardent Basaiawmoit said the party will abstain from voting in the presidential election.
“We have already decided in the Central Executive Committee meeting of the party that we will boycott the election,” he said.
Election observer in city
Election observer Sanjeev Mittal will monitor the presidential polls at the temporary Assembly building in Rilbong.
Like the days of Assembly session, security arrangement has been made.
The assistant returning officer, Andrew Simons, who will also be the presiding officer for the polls, said on Sunday that all arrangements have been done for the smooth conduct of polls.
To a question, he said there was no official communication from HSPDP regarding the boycott of the polls.
After the polls, which will conclude at 5 pm on Monday, the ballot box will be kept in a strong room in the Assembly and on Tuesday, it will be taken to Delhi.