SHILLONG: Veteran leader and national vice-president of National People’s Party (NPP), DD Lapang has said that the issue of the Citizenship Amendment Bill was one of the reasons that brought the regional parties together in Meghalaya to field common candidate in Lok Sabha election.
The stalwart while speaking to media persons here in Shillong also expressed optimism that the common candidate of Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) , Jemino Mawthoh would win the elections from Shillong.
Earlier, Lapang said that that there would not be any difference with BJP contesting the elections from Shillong and Tura seat even as he added that there was no hard and fast rule that BJP should not contest the election even if they are a part of the ruling MDA.
Denying that it will be difficult for the NPP to defeat Congress in Shillong seat which is considered to be a strong bastion for the Congress, he added, “voting which takes place for the Lok Sabha elections is secret voting and we feel that our candidate will win.”
Earlier, Lapang did not commented much on the performance of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi saying he has tried his best but nothing much can be spoken about his performance at the moment
The NPP State president, WR Kharlukhi said that the MDA partners were in a post poll alliance and not a pre-poll alliance with BJP and other partners, adding that the NPP had made it very clear that if BJP goes ahead with the CAB , the party will simply withdraw its support from the NDA.
Meanwhile, former Congress leader, John F Kharshiing who recently resigned from the Congress has decided to support the MDA common candidate from Shillong seat , Jemino Mawthoh in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Kharshiing said that Jemino Mawthoh is the fittest of all the candidates for the Shillong seats.
Making it clear that he has not joined National People’s Party as of now, he added that he may even campaign for the common candidate in the last few days of campaigning.
He said that he decided to support the common candidate as he is impressed by the united efforts of the regional parties to field a common candidate from Shillong seat.
He also denied the speculations that he left Congress because he could not get the ticket from the Congress to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Shillong seat.
He also maintained that he was not aware if he might be a potential candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat from Shillong seat.