SHILLONG, Nov 20: The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) is unlikely to field any candidate in the 2023 Assembly polls.
KHNAM president, Pyndapborthiaw Saibon told The Shillong Times that the party is not preparing to contest the upcoming elections.
“So far, no one has approached us for a party ticket. We are not planning to field any candidate for next year’s Assembly polls,” he said.
He, however, said they will be working to strengthen the party for the future.
KHNAM’s lone legislator from North Shillong, Adelbert Nongrum had earlier announced his plan to join the Voice of the People Party (VPP).
Nongrum said the decision was taken after the VPP, under the leadership of former Nongkrem legislator Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit, agreed to include a state reservation policy as one of the issues in the party’s election manifesto.
Nongrum said the VPP agreed that there is a need to review and revamp the reservation policy.
“The intention is not to bring any communal feelings among the Khasi and Garo people,” he said.
The KHNAM has often been in the headlines because of a tug-of-war between Nongrum and Saibon, both claiming to be the party president.
Saibon had asked Nongrum to produce the letter issued by the Election Commission of India recognising him as the president of KHNAM. He had earlier stated that the High Court of Meghalaya urged the ECI to examine the conflict within the party in detail.
Saibon had stated that the ECI sent its last letter to him as well as Nongrum on November 20, 2020, to amicably resolve their fight. He had also said that he was unanimously elected president while Nongrum was elected as working president during the party’s general convention on January 27, 2017.
The KHNAM was founded in 2002 by former legislator and current working president of the United Democratic Party, Paul Lyngdoh.
