SHILLONG: The Congress will be in a quandary over choosing a candidate for Shillong parliamentary seat with another prominent name being added to the list.
The Nongkrem Block Congress Committee has suggested the name of John Kharshiing as a “consensus candidate” for the Lok Sabha election from Shillong.
The other prominent leader who has applied for ticket from Shillong is former minister HDR Lyngdoh, besides MP Vincent Pala. The Congress had earlier said it would nominate Pala as its candidate.
In a letter to Meghalaya Congress chief Celestine Lyngdoh, the committee requested both the state and the central leaderships of the party to consider Kharshiing’s nomination.
Kharshiing, who is the general secretary of the state party unit, had recently clarified that he was not in the race for candidature.
The committee members said though Kharshiing has not applied, they were concerned over winnability of candidates. “It is our request that his name be included for consideration as a consensus candidate as Kharshiing is a well-known and popular person all over the state, especially due to his many years of work in different capacities for the uplift in the rural areas of Khasi and Jaintia Hills.”
Kharshiing, while reacting to the request for his candidature, said on Monday, “I am humbled and grateful to their initiative and will always be ready wherever the need arises. It will be a privilege to represent the people of the state and the party… however, it all depends on the unanimity and the consensus that is arrived at by the party.”
The UDP, which has already pitched its leader, Jemino Mawthoh, as the common candidate without finalisation by the MDA Core committee, feels the party has a stronger base in Khasi and Jaintia Hills and should be given the opportunity to fight the upcoming Lok Sabha election from Shillong.
Mawthoh on Monday said that this is an era of coalition and coalition partners should be respected.
“UDP is a very strong partner in the present MDA government and we feel that since we have a stronger base in Khasi and Jaintia Hills, we should be given the opportunity to fight the Lok Sabha elections with the support of the other MDA partners,” he said.
Mawthoh added that they have been discussing with other parties as well as far as Lok Sabha elections are concerned and the results are going to be very positive this time.
Expressing confidence that there would be consensus among the MDA partners, he, however, added that they have to wait for the right time.
“Let the MDC elections be over first and we will decide how to go forward,” he said while hoping that if not all, most of the partners of the MDA will be on their side.
