SHILLONG: Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) state president, Jamil Ahmed said that national leaders of the party would visit the state for political campaign in the run up to the Assembly elections of 2018.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, he said that there was no scarcity of leaders in the central party which included national president of LJP, Ram Vilas Paswan, his son Chirag Paswan, national secretary Abdul Khaliq, other leaders like Sanjay Saraf and other MPs. The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution is currently held by Ram Vilas Paswan.
Turning to the party’s poll preparedness, Ahmed said the party was banking on candidates with good morals and chose to steer clear of potential candidates who would bring disrepute to the party.
“We are looking for clean, honest candidates,” he said and expressed disappointment that there was dearth of people with such qualities.
He added that though the plan was to contest 35-40 seats but the party was cautiously selecting potential candidates as the set criteria is “clean and honest candidates.”
He stated that names of many more poll candidates were to be announced as the party has so far announced only five poll candidates.
According to Ahmed, the five candidates announced by them have fit into their criteria of candidates set forth by the party.
The five candidates are Banrilang Jungai from Jowai, Donlang Nongbri, who is also the district president of East Khasi Hills, will contest from Mawlai, Tony Marbaniang, the working youth president, will contest from North Shillong, Denis Tynsiar from Pynursla and Arelitha K Sangma from Selsella.
Regarding post-poll and pre-poll alliances, Ahmed said that the party had not given any thought to the matter while he informed that the party’s poll manifesto was being prepared.
“The main issues are unemployment, roads and overall development. We are also demanding the inclusion of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo language in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution,” he said.
Ahmed asserted that the party was fighting against money power and maintained that the party did not have any funds.