SHILLONG: United Democratic Party (UDP) leader from Mylliem, Hamlet Dohling has made it clear that he would definitely contest the upcoming Assembly elections, 2018.
The statement came from Dohling after the Coordination Committee of HSPDP & UDP decided to field HSPDP candidate from Mylliem constituency though UDP was pressing for the name of Dohling as its candidate from the constituency.
Speaking to The Shillong Times here on Friday, Hamlet Dohling also said that he would discuss the matter with the top leadership of the party and his supporters before taking a call on the matter.
On being asked if he would contest the election from other political parties, he admitted that some political parties have already approached him but the matter will be first discussed with the party leadership and supporters.
According to Dohling, the party workers in Mylliem are not happy with the decision of the grand alliance and people of Mylliem wants him to contest the election anyhow.
Stating that both the MDC and MLA from Mylliem have failed, he said that he had been working wholeheartedly for the party in the constituency for the last 5-6 years.
Mylliem Circle has also rejected the decision of the Coordination Committee of HSPDP & UDP pertaining to the seat-sharing between the two parties in respect Mylliem and asserted that they would continue to support Hamlet Dohling even if he contested the Assembly elections, 2018 from a different party.
It may be noted that UDP took the lion’s share in the seat sharing arrangement with its pre-poll alliance partner, HSPDP.
The co-ordination committee of the UDP-HSPDP alliance had decided that out of the 36 seats, 17 free seats will go to UDP and 10 free seats will go to HSPDP.
Sitting MDC Teilinia Thangkhiew is the probable candidate of HSPDP from Mylliem constituency .