MAWKYRWAT: The Congress may name JC Diengngan, younger brother of former PDF candidate from Ranikor Air Marshall Diengngan, as its candidate for the by-poll to Ranikor.
Sources in the party said the Congress wanted to field a strong and winnable candidate and it had approached many local leaders.
“After Pius Marwein made his stand clear that he would contest again from the UDP, the party set Tehseng Marak, son of former MLA P K Raswai and UDP leader, as the primary target but he could not be convinced as he has no interest in contesting elections,” the sources said. “Had Marak agreed to contest the election on Congress ticket, former MLA and NPP candidate MM Danggo would have been in trouble as Marak is a UDP leader and has a strong base of supporters both in the border and upland areas,” they added.
However, with both Marwein and Marak not accepting the Congress’s offer, the party may consider Diengngan as its candidate.
One reason to choose Diengngan is that he is among the leaders who took the responsibility to reorganise the party in the past one month, the sources said.
Diengngan will have to face five-time MLA MM Danggo, former chief executive member of KHADC and PDF candidate PN Syiem and UDP candidate Pius Marwein, who came second in the February Assembly elections.
