SHILLONG: The United Democratic Party (UDP) is not averse to working with BJP after the upcoming 2018 Assembly elections.
UDP working president Bindo M Lanong on Thursday said it was important to have “some kind of understanding and link with whichever party that is in power at the Centre”.
“UDP had this kind of link even with the Congress all these years. We remember even in the previous term (2008-2013) when we were part of the Congress-led coalition government, the Congress was also at the Centre,” Lanong said.
The regional party is a partner in the North East Democratic Alliance led by BJP in the region.
Maintaining that the link with the party in Delhi is crucial, the senior UDP leader said with BJP at the Centre, the question of being “inimical” to the saffron party does not arise.
He, however, said the party has no alliance with the BJP as far as the 2018 elections are concerned.
Meanwhile, UDP president and Opposition leader Donkupar Roy ruled out any alliance with the Congress.
“I want to make it very clear that the UDP-HSPDP-GNC will go all out to defeat the Congress this time. There is no question of working with the Congress after the elections,” the UDP president said.
Echoing similar views, Lanong said that the misrule of the Congress in Meghalaya has to be stopped adding that the UDP will make all efforts to ensure that the Congress should go this time round.
When asked about the discontentment among party workers who are not happy with seat adjustments with HSPDP, the UDP president said the party would be more than happy to have seat adjustments in all constituencies.
“This kind of situation is common in politics. This decision to have alliance with the HSPDP and GNC was in the best interest of the people in the state,” Roy said.
Taking a cue from Roy’s statement, Lanong said UDP has the support of majority of the people who have expressed their satisfaction on its attempt to have an alliance with likeminded parties.
“This is a welcome step and a wise decision,” the leader said. Meanwhile, he also slammed the People’s Democratic Front (PDF) saying “UDP is upset with the PDF since they gave their support to ensure the stability of its Executive Committee in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC)”.
“We feel betrayed since PDF has managed to persuade the MDCs of the UDP to join the party through the financial assistance which the council receives from the Centre. We all know that PDF is a party which constitutes of the MDCs who had won the election from other parties,” Roy added.
