SHILLONG: Buoyed by the top Congress leaders from Ri Bhoi shifting their allegiance to United Democratic Party (UDP), the party chief and Leader of Opposition, Dr Donkupar Roy has expressed confidence that the regional party will win more seats than any other party in the upcoming 2018 Assembly elections.
“We are 100 percent sure that UDP will win the election and we will get the most number of seats,” Roy told reporters after several leaders from Congress as well as other NGOs in Ri Bhoi district joined the party.
On being asked about discontent in few seats where the alliance between UDP and HSPSDP are yet to reach any consensus, Roy said that they were working out the issue even as he added that the alliance also had few open seats which would help the candidates.
The party chief also said that they welcomed anyone who intended to join the regional party.
On the other hand, UDP MDC from Umsning, Donkupar Sumer was over the moon as top leaders from Congress have now shifted their allegiance to UDP.
“It is a positive sign and we are moving in the right direction,” he told reporters.
When asked about his rival candidate from Congress who would take on him during elections, Sumer said that the Opposition candidate was a strong contender earlier but in recent past, Congress party had lost the elections everywhere in the country and the same would happen here in Meghalaya.
“People are fed up with the style and functioning of the State Government and they have faith in regional parties,” he said.
According to Sumer, Congress leaders joining UDP will really demoralise the Congress in the constituency.
He also said that the party would focus on providing quality education besides providing jobs to the youths of the state with transparency.
He also ruled out any disunity in the party following the alliance with HSPDP saying there are bound to be some differences when efforts were on to unite the party.
“These are small issues at the local level and it will be sorted out without having any adverse effect,” he said.