SHILLONG: As many as seven sitting MLAs will join NPP in the coming months.
NPP state president WR Kharlukhi told The Shillong Times on Saturday that while some will join the party within three weeks, others will be with the party in the subsequent months.
However, Kharlukhi refused to divulge the names of the MLAs who will join the party but added, “ Among the seven to eight MLAs, some are from the Congress and others are from non-Congress parties.”
In the past, media reports had said Congress legislators Sniawbhalang Dhar and his brother Ngaitlang Dhar, besides Prestone Tynsong, may join NPP though they had denied such move.
Recently, speculation was rife that senior Congress legislator from Mawkyrwat Rowell Lyngdoh may join NPP since MPCC dissolved the Mawkyrwat Block Congress Committee headed by him. Lyngdoh’s supporters, including former Vice President of the Block Congress Diverland Lyngdoh, recently joined NPP.
“We have already started preparations for the Assembly polls and in many places we are strengthening the party,” the NPP leader said.
Kharlukhi also predicted that the Congress would not be able to register victory in the upcoming elections.
Poll panel meet
The NPP’s election committee will meet this month to chalk out programmes for the Assembly polls scheduled for early 2018.
NPP national president and Tura MP Conrad Sangma said on Saturday that within September, the election committee will meet to chalk out the action plan.
Earlier, Sangma had ruled out returning to state politics and it is yet to be known whether his sister Agatha Sangma, who has not been keeping well, will join the fray.
Party sources said the matters related to whom
to project as the chief ministerial candidate by the party will be discussed in the election committee meeting.
Besides, the committee will also discuss the number of candidates the party will field in 2018.
NPP has only two MLAs in the current Assembly, James Sangma and Nihim D Shira.
Banking on the support, NPP secured during the Lok Sabha polls, the party is trying to get maximum seats from Garo Hills.
