UDP slams Laloo over ‘never had one-to-one contest’ statement

SHILLONG: The United Democratic Party (UDP) has slammed the Deputy Chief Minister Roytre C Laloo for his statement that he is averse to straight contest between two candidates following his bitter experience of not winning the past two elections when the fight was one-to-one.
“Saying that he (Laloo) would have no chance in a one-to-one fight in 2018 is just a political tactic to fool the people of Jowai constituency,” UDP secretary in-charge of West and East Jaintia Hills, Kitboklang Nongtdu said
Earlier, Laloo who is a Congress sitting legislator from Jowai constituency said that he has a slim chance to win if there is a straight contest while recalling that he had lost twice in 1998 and 2003.
 However, Nongtdu claimed that there has not been a single occasion, where there was a straight contest in Jowai constituency. ‘‘In fact in both these elections, there was triangular fight in the constituency. In 1998, Laloo had contested against former MLA Sing Mulieh and Naren Talang while in 2003, he contested against Sing Mulieh, Phidalia Toi and Dr Philomat Passah,” he said.