MAWKYRWAT, Feb 21: Ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls in 2023, the National People’s Party (NPP) is most likely to feel invigorated if reports that five-time MLA from Ranikor Constituency and former Assembly Speaker, MM Danggo, along with three-time MDC of Langrin (Ranikor) Constituency and former Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), Manstudy Nongrem, are all set to join the NPP are to be held as true.
Sources told The Shillong Times that MM Danggo and Manstudy Nongrem from Ranikor, who were once ‘trusted friends’ dominating and wining elections together, will soon join the NPP.
“If things go according to plan, they may join the party tomorrow…they will be welcomed to the party by the NPP national president, Conrad K Sangma, national vice president Prestone Tynsong, state president Dr WR Kharlukhi, and other leaders of the party,” sources said.
The two leaders decided to join the NPP after consulting the leaders and supporters from the Constituency, according to sources.
The ST was also told that Danggo has decided to contest the 2023 polls while Nongrem will contest the 2024 District Council election on NPP tickets.
It may be recalled that after winning the 2018 general elections from Ranikor Constituency on Congress ticket, Danggo resigned from the Congress and joined the NPP after Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma announced the upgrade of Ranikor administrative unit to a civil sub-division.
He then lost Ranikor by-election in 2018 to UDP candidate, Pius Marwein, and in February, 2020, he resigned from the NPP.
Meanwhile, Nongrem had prepared himself to contest the 2018 general election in 2017-18 from Mawkyrwat Constituency on a Congress ticket but with the resistance of many Congress leaders from the constituency, he joined the HSPDP and supported Renikton L Tongkhar in the 2018 general election from Mawkyrwat.