SHILLONG, June 29: The United Democratic Party (UDP), which has been playing second fiddle to the National People’s Party (NPP) in the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance, is all set to stake its claim to the leadership role, asserting that national parties have misruled the state for 35 years and now the time has come for the regional party to head the government.
“All these years we have given the key to the national parties to rule our houses. We should stop renting our houses to Delhi or Nagpur. If we are not able to rule ourselves then it would be better if we go back with Assam,” UDP working president Paul Lyngdoh said while addressing a function to welcome former Congress minister HDR Lyngdoh who joined the party on Wednesday.
The UDP working president recalled that the state has produced great political leaders in the past and it still has the potential to produce leaders who can lead the state in the right direction.
“We need to change our mindset and to have a determination to lead the state on our own. Otherwise it is futile to have our own state,” Lyngdoh added.
The former minister formally joined the UDP at a programme held at Shilliang Wah Sohiong in the presence of party president Metbah Lyngdoh, general secretary Jemino Mawthoh, vice president Allantry Dkhar, cabinet minister HB Nongsiej, KHADC CEM Titosstarwell Chyne and some party MLAs and leaders.
The UDP also took the opportunity to name HDR Lyngdoh as the party candidate for the 2023 assembly polls from Sohiong constituency.
The UDP president said they were lucky that a veteran leader had joined the party and that too on the occasion of his 67th birthday. Addressing the gathering, the former minister disclosed that he had planned to quit politics after suffering a defeat in the 2018 assembly polls. “But my family members and my supporters insisted that I should remain in active politics. Everyone suggested that I should switch over to the UDP to be able to serve the people of the constituency better,” he said.
Talking about his decision to quit the Congress, he said there was lack of coordination and understanding in the party. “It is for this reason that many MLAs have deserted the Congress,” he added.
