Parties yet to gear up for council polls

SHILLONG: With less than a month for the polls in KHADC and JHADC, political parties are yet to fully gear up for the battle.
The election is scheduled for February 27.
The model code of conduct will come into force from February 2 and the District Council Affairs Department has asked all the parties and candidates to adhere to it.
While the regional parties, including the UDP, were prompt to announce the names of several candidates for both KHADC and JHADC polls, Congress, NPP and BJP are lagging behind in officially naming candidates for the 29 seats in the two councils.
For the NPP that is leading the MDA government, the election is crucial as the outcome will prove whether it has the support at the grassroots level.
The coalition partners in the MDA — UDP, PDF, HSPDP and BJP — will contest the polls separately which, according to the main opposition Congress, will be advantageous to the party. However, NPP sources said they are confident yet again to rule both KHADC and JHADC.
A Congress leader said the party was committed to ensuring its victory in KHADC and JHADC taking advantage of the anti-incumbency factor, especially on the law and order front, as the NPP has failed to live up to the expectations of the people.
The Congress is set to target the NPP and the alliance partners for the varied law and order problems and the manner in which the coal issue was handled by the ruling coalition.
A state government official said the focus will be more on Jaintia Hills than Khasi Hills due to the issues related to ban on coal mining but the police and the administration will keep a tight vigil in the run-up to the polls.
The District Council Affairs Department will spend Rs 10 crore for conducting the polls.