‘MDA right forum for common candidate talks’

SHILLONG: The coordination committee of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) is the right forum to discuss a common candidate for the Lok Sabha election, feels Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong.
The senior NPP leader’s remark comes at a time when the UDP, an alliance partner, is harping on fielding its candidate from Shillong. Tynsong, who is aware of the UDP’s view, did not comment on the matter before discussing it with allies.
“The right forum to discuss this issue is the coordination committee that consists of all the allies of the MDA,” he told reporters here on Monday.
The meeting of the coordination committee will take place when Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma returns from Paris.
When pointed out that UDP working president Bindo Mathew Lanong had warned that a disagreement on common candidate may threaten the coalition, Tynsong ruled it out saying, “We will find an acceptable solution to the issue once all the allies sit and deliberate on this issue.”
He insisted that the NPP-led MDA Cabinet is working as a team. “We cannot say someone is vocal and someone is not. The MDA government is run collectively. We will also continue to do that till the end of the term,” he said and added that NPP has not decided on whether to contest both Shillong and Tura parliamentary seats.