MAWKYRWAT: NPP candidate Kitborlang Nongrem and Congress candidate Jotin Khardewsaw, on Tuesday, filed their nomination papers before the Returning Officer at the deputy commissioner’s office, Mawkyrwat for the Langrin MDC bye-election scheduled to be held on February 28.
President of the NPP Meghalaya Unit WR Kharlukhi, who accompanied Nongrem for filing nomination, said that the party is confident of winning the bye-election despite the fact that the five-time MLA from Ranikor, MM Danggo had just recently left the party to support the Congress candidate.
Asked whether leaving of Danggo would affect the performance of the party in this bye-election, Kharlukhi said, “In my belief, no one is indispensible. If one leaves another leader emerges. In the last MDC election, we got 8,924 votes. I believe that our supporters know our principle and they will support us. Therefore, I believe that we will win this election”.
Even though Kharlukhi refused to criticise Danggo for leaving the NPP, however, he said, “We do not have anything to say regarding the decision of Danggo to leave our party, but I want to say only one thing and that is we have fulfilled our promises of giving Ranikor the Civil Sub-Division which was his dream and that we do not lie to him”.
Meanwhile, Congress candidate, Jotin Khardewsaw, said that according to the feedback received from the people across the constituency, the party is getting stronger support each day, especially after MM Danggo openly bolstered him.
“In the 2018 Ranikor bye-election, people supported the NPP not because of the party, which was completely new to them, but because of their love for Danggo,” Khardewsaw said.
MM Danggo informed that till now, he has not officially joined the Congress, but he has decided to support the party candidate after consulting with his followers.
He also said that after the election he will again consult ‘his people’ before joining the Congress or other parties.
Asked about the reason of leaving NPP and supporting the Congress candidate, Danggo said, “I have consulted my people, but much before that some of my people, I don’t know for what reason, have already left the NPP before me. After consultations, I also decided to follow the majority of my follower to where they were going”.
Umroi MLA George B Lyngdoh, who accompanied Khadewsaw, said the party has high hopes that it will win this election, especially after Danggo support and also because the party was united from top to bottom.
