SHILLONG: The ruling National People’s Party (NPP) has dared the Congress to put up a candidate in the upcoming by-poll Ranikor Assembly constituency whose elected representative M M Danggo recently quit the MLA post as well as Congress. The by-poll date is likely to be announced shortly.
Speaking to media persons here on Friday, NPP president, WR Kharlukhi said that Congress party would become a non-entity especially in Khasi-Jaintia Hills region of the state and they would not even get a candidate to contest Ranikor by-poll.
“ If they put up a candidate, he may lose his security deposit,” Kharlukhi told reporters
When Asked about PN Syiem’s plans to contest the by-election, Kharlukhi said that NPP and UDP are putting up their candidate for the by polls and they welcome any candidate from the alliance to contest the elections.
He reiterated that there was no bar on any party of the coalition to contest the election even as he added that the coalition was working together and they have no problem over the issue of contesting the by-election in Ranikor
On the other hand, senior Congress leade , Charles Pyngrope said that the party would definitely put up a candidate in Ranikor
“ There is no need to dare us, everybody is privileged to have opinion in a democracy,” he said.
The by-election in Ranikor has been necessitated as the former Congress MLA, MM Danggo resigned from his post as an MLA recently and he will seek re-election from the constituency as an NPP candidate.
While the UDP and NPP have already made up its mind to contest the election, PDF Chief PN Syiem is also projecting himself as the common candidate and a decision to finalise his candidature is likely to be taken next month.