LJP bigwigs to campaign in state

SHILLONG: The state president of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), Jamil Ahmed, said national leaders will visit the state for campaign in the run-up to the Assembly elections of 2018.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, Ahmed said the party has no dearth of leaders, which include LJP national president Ram Vilas Paswan, his son Chirag Paswan, national secretary Abdul Khaliq and Sanjay Saraf, among others.
LJP is an ally of the BJP-led National Democratic Party and Paswan is the minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
On the party’s poll preparedness, Ahmed said it is banking on candidates with “good morals”. “We are looking for clean and honest candidates,” he said and expressed disappointment that there is dearth of people with such qualities.
He added that though the party had planned to contest 35-40 seats but it is cautiously selecting its candidates.
LJP has so far announced candidates for five constituencies and “will announce more”.
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.
 On post-poll and pre-poll alliances, Ahmed said LJP has not thought about it and the party manifesto is under way.
“The main issues are unemployment, roads and overall development. We are also demanding the inclusion of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution,” he said and added that LJP is fighting against money power and maintained that the party does not have funds.