Two MLAs skip crucial PDF meet

SHILLONG, Aug 20: People’s Democratic Front (PDF) legislators Hamletson Dohling and Jason Mawlong skipped the party’s triennial conference, setting tongues wagging about their intentions ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.
Consequently, the PDF’s newly-elected Central Executive Committee (CEC) is likely to discuss the fate of the two MLAs.
The PDF elected Sohra MLA Gavin Miguel Mylliem as its new president during the conference at Mawkhar Community Hall here on Saturday.
Apart from Mylliem, the CEC has Banteidor Lyngdoh and Emlang Lytan as the party’s working presidents, James Ban Basaiawmoit and Ivanlumlang Marbaniang as vice-presidents, and Auspicious L Mawphlang as its general secretary.
Reports said Dohling, who represents the Mylliem constituency and Mawlong, who represents the Umsning seat, are planning to contest the upcoming Assembly elections from the National People’s Party (NPP). But have remained silent about their plan to join the NPP, though.
“The two MLAs have been absent from the party meeting since June. But we have taken a serious note of their absence from the triennial conference,” PDF working president and Cabinet Minister, Banteidor Lyngdoh said.
Mylliem said they had sent letters to the two MLAs to inform them about this conference.
“We have nothing to comment against the two MLAs. We cannot say if they are joining another party,” he said.
“Only they can confirm or deny plan to leave the PDF,” he added.
Pointing to several reports on social media claiming the two MLAs will not contest the 2023 polls from the PDF, Lyngdoh said neither of the two has made any statement about switching to another party.
“We have already decided to put fresh candidates in Mylliem and Umsning if Dohling and Mawlong decided to contest the polls from another party,” he added.
Asked if the party will issue a show-cause notice to the two MLAs, Lyngdoh said the new CEC will have to discuss it.
“But the provisions of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution will be applicable for the two MLAs if they join any other party without resigning from their posts,” Lyngdoh said.
He also said the party would discuss any possibility of writing to the Chief Minister for inducting Myllem in place of Dohling in the Cabinet if he joins the NPP.
On his elevation as the PDF president, Mylliem said 28 zonal committees and six district committees are in place as part of the party’s preparations for the 2023 polls. He, however, said they would revamp these committees if the necessity arises and that the party leadership has urged the members of various committees to start the groundwork for the polls.
Mylliem said most of the zonal committees have expressed that they are keen to field candidates in the upcoming election.
He said the new CEC will convene the meeting of the Central Election Committee to decide on the party candidates.
He also said the party is yet to decide on the number of seats it is going to contest in 2023. But he insisted the party will not field candidates just for the sake of contesting the elections.
“We are going to contest only from those seats where we have strong chances to win,” he added.