MDA meet on common candidate next week

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) partners will meet next week to decide on common candidate for both Shillong and Tura seats to take on the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a programme, Deputy Chief Minister and NPP leader Prestone Tynsong said there is still time to deliberate on the matter and the alliance would definitely meet next week and take a decision.
It may be mentioned that the UDP, a key ally in the MDA government, has already announced Jemino Mawthoh as the common candidate while BJP has decided to go solo in the elections.
The HSPDP too has proposed the name of its MLA Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar as the common candidate. When pointed out, Tynsong said all the issues pertaining to common candidate “will be discussed and deliberated in the meeting”.
When asked if the NPP would contest all the 25 seats in the North East in the polls, Tynsong said though the party “intends to do so” it has to also consider the ground reality.
Reacting to the remark of Zenith Sangma that NPP days are numbered in Meghalaya, Tynsong said the Congress leader “is not a prophet and such statements are being made out of frustration”.
He also criticised Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma saying, “The work of the Opposition leader is to criticise the government but people know what the government is doing for the state.”