HSPDP faces threat of losing all its MLAs

SHILLONG, Aug 3: With Hill State People’s Democratic Party’s (HSPDP) Renikton L Tongkhar reportedly set to represent the United Democratic Party (UDP) in the next year’s assembly polls and cloud over Sohiong MLA Samlin Malngiang’s stand on whether or not he will contest on HSPDP ticket have put the prospects of the party in uncertainty.
However, despite being on the verge losing its only two MLAs, the HSPDP has made certain crucial decisions to come out of this jeopardy.
The party has announced Medal Sing Lyngdoh as its candidate from Mawkyrwat seat in next year’s assembly elections to fill in Renikton Tongkhar’s shoes, while it is also making attempts reach Samlin Malngiang to know his position.
Mawkyrwat seat is currently held by Renikton Tongkhar who is a Cabinet Minister. He has already announced that he will contest the polls on the ticket of another party.
There are reports that Sohiong MLA Samlin Malngiang will also contest the elections from another party.
“Let’s be clear that we have already announced our candidate from Mawkyrwat. He is Medal Lyngdoh. As regards Samlin, we are trying to meet him but unable to do so. We have requested our vice president M Mukhim to meet him to know his views – whether he will contest from our party or leave the party,” HSPDP general secretary Panbor Ryntathiang said on Wednesday.
Medal Sing Lyngdoh, a former United Democratic Party (UDP) leader from Mawkyrwat, had joined the HSPDP along with scores of his supporters recently.
Ryntathiang said Tongkhar is still an MLA of the HSPDP. He said no action will be initiated against the two party MLAs.
“We always wanted our MLAs to stick to the party but each and every person has his own choice. We leave it to their wisdom,” Ryntathiang said.
Asked if Tongkhar officially communicated he is leaving the party, Ryntathiang said, “We don’t know. We cannot say. Let him say. But in any case, it is official that we have already declared our candidate from Mawkyrwat.”
According to recent reports, Tongkhar is planning to contest the polls from the UDP and Malngiang is looking to contest from the NPP.
The HSPDP and the UDP are partners in the Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA) and there is a perception that the developments might impact their relationship.
However, Ryntathiang said the RDA will not be affected till the end of the present term. He said the HSPDP will decide post elections whether or not to continue in the RDA.
Party president KP Pangniang, however, said, “The spirit of the HSPDP is to maintain alliance. It is the primary objective of our party, but unifying or uniting under one flag will take time. The question of whether or not to pull out of the RDA does not arise.”
“We want to be under one umbrella and that was our spirit when we had joined MDA and RDA,” he added.