SHILLONG: The People’s Democratic Front has justified its decision of fielding a candidate for the Shella bypoll disregarding the United Democratic Party’s appeal to all the partners of the MDA to support its candidate.
Speaking to media persons after the second general council meeting of the party here on Saturday, PDF working president Banteidor Lyngdoh said that there was no agreement that the MDA partners will not put up candidates for the bypoll.
“We had not made any commitment that we will not put up any candidate for the bypoll,” he said.
When asked about NPP positively responding to the appeal of the UDP, he said that the NPP might have taken the decision to back the UDP candidate since party president and Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had stated in the state funeral of late Donkupar Roy in Sohra that the party will not put up a candidate for the bypoll as a mark of respect to the former Assembly Speaker.
Lyngdoh, however, maintained that the party has a huge respect for late Donkupar Roy.
According to Lyngdoh, the party has taken the decision to contest the election as per the wish of the party workers and supporters in Shella constituency.
“The other reason for contesting is that the party is confident of winning since the party candidate Leston Wanswett lost by a margin of only 376 votes in the 2018 Assembly polls. We know that the 6000 plus votes for Wanswett are still intact,” the PDF working president said.
Stating that the party candidate and younger brother of Leston, Mosjo Rockfeller Wanswett, is not a new face since he was actively involved in all the three elections contested by his elder brother, he expressed confidence that the people of Shella this time will give the family of Leston Wanswett an opportunity to represent the constituency as their MLA.
Meanwhile, Lyngdoh also asserted that the MDA coalition will remain intact whatever the outcome of the bypoll in Shella Assembly constituency to be held in October 21.
“The MDA coalition partners will remain intact whether the UDP or PDF or BJP win,” Lyngdoh, who is also the Cabinet Minister in the National People’s Party (NPP)-led MDA government, told reporters
It may be mentioned that the National People’s Party (NPP) and Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) have not put up their candidates for the polls while the BJP and People’s Democratic Front (PDF) have simply turned down the appeal by deciding to join the fray.
