UDP confident of forming EC with like-minded parties

GUWAHATI: United Democratic Party (UDP) is confident of forming the executive committees of both Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council with “like-minded parties” as it gears up its campaigning for the February 27 elections to the district councils.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on Wednesday, Jemino Mawthoh, the secretary of the party’s state election committee, said UDP might not get an absolute majority in the polls but was positive on formation of the executive committee.
“We are confident of winning more seats than in the previous two elections to the district councils, as this time we are in the government with currently nine MLAs. However, UDP has always been supportive when it comes to posts in the executive committees. None from the party have held the post of the chief executive member as we don’t believe in fighting for posts,” Mawthoh said.
“The party, if you see our history, has always tried to maintain stability in the executive committees, playing a positive role in their functioning,” he added.
The party has fielded as many as 26 candidates for constituencies under KHADC and 25 for seats under JHADC. “We have an alliance with the regional parties and accordingly have decided not field candidates in two West Khasi Hills constituencies (Rambrai and Mawshynrut), where our alliance partner, HSPDP is fielding candidates. This time the alliance is different, with decisions taken at the constituency level as against the state level,” Mawthoh said.
UDP is coming out with its manifesto within a couple of days with the party pledging to streamline administration and functioning of the two district councils in the draft approved last month.
“We will be having a meeting soon and bring out the manifesto in a day or two, where we will try to have an anti-defection law, the absence of which allows winning candidates to jump parties. Apart from it, we will focus on land, forests, trading by non tribals, among a few other issues.” the UDP leader said.
Asked whether the performance has been under par in East Khasi Hills in the past, Mawthoh said the absence of an anti-defection law was a factor contributing to that trend. UDP had won six seats each in both the councils in 2014, while in 2009, it had won 10 seats in KHADC and eight in JHADC.