NEW DELHI/SHILLONG: The AICC on Wednesday selected former chief minister Mukul Sangma and Shillong MP Vincent H Pala as the party’s nominees for Tura and Shillong seats respectively for the April 11 Lok Sabha elections evoking joy among party workers in the state.
The AICC screening committee headed by chairman Venu Gopal, general secretary Luizinho Faleiro and secretary in-charge of the state and MPCC president, Celestine Lyngdoh, decided on the names which will have to be formally approved by the party’s central election committee, party sources said.
Sangma as leader of the CLP, all AICC secretaries from Meghalaya — Ampareen Lyngdoh, Charles Pyngrope, Zenith Sangma, and secretary in- charge of the state Victor Keishing, were present in the meeting.
The screening committee considered all the names forwarded by the MPCC, but finally selected the duo even though Sangma was not recommended. AICC was keen on Sangma and Pala to take on the common candidates of the MDA, the sources said. The MDA has nominated former UDP MLA Jemino Mawthoh for Shillong, but is yet to decide on Tura although former Union minister Agatha Sangma of NPP is said to be the frontrunner.
“The screening committee has cleared the names of Mukul Sangma and Vincent Pala as the party nominees to contest the Lok Sabha polls. The party will officially declare their names in a day or two,” a source said.
Sangma, who is also the chairman of the North East Congress Coordination Committee, is contesting the upcoming elections at the party’s request.
“Although I had not applied for a ticket, the party has requested me to contest from Tura in the interest of the people of the state and the nation at large,” he said.
The state Congress has stressed that pitching common candidates by the regional parties will not have any bearing on its prospects and that the party will win both the Shillong and Tura seats.
Sangma left for Meghalaya soon after the decision was taken. Pala is yet to leave as he is busy finalising last minute formalities since he is a sitting MP.
Unlike in 2014, the decision was arrived at without any hiccup with little opposition from the members of the screening committee. Pala was sure of the seat since he had the distinction of being one among only 45 Congress MPs to win in 2014 while Sangma is known as strongman of Garo hills who can put up a stiff fight to NPP.
Last time, there was stiff opposition to Pala’s candidature which was finally cleared by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. In case of Tura it was not sure till the very end whether Zenith or Mukul’s son-in law will be nominated for the prestigious seat.
Joy over Mukul
Sangma’s selection evoked joy among the party workers in the state with leader HM Shangpliang saying that the Tura seat after a long time will come back to the Congress.
Shangpliang said that the MPCC had recommended four names to the AICC for the Tura seat, but the high command felt the need to request Sangma to contest and he agreed.
It may be mentioned that the Tura seat has been a strong bastion of the NPP, but with Sangma joining the fray it remains to be seen how interesting the battle will turn out to be.