SHILLONG, Dec 29: The Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Thursday finalised the names of 40 candidates, eight of whom are women, for the 2023 Assembly elections.
Shillong MP and MPCC chief Vincent H Pala said 40 candidates have been identified and the names for the remaining 20 seats – 10 each in Khasi-Jaintia and Garo Hills – will be finalised at a later date.
The 40 names cleared by the AICC include the candidates for 14 of the 24 seats in the Garo Hills and 26 out of the 36 seats in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills.
Pala said the MPCC will be sending its observer to the Garo Hills to identify the best probable candidates from several aspirants vying for a party ticket.
The MPCC chief is one of the 40 candidates nominated from the Sutnga-Saipung constituency. The other prominent candidates are Celestine Lyngdoh from Umsning, PN Syiem from Pynthorumkhrah, Charles Marngar from Mawhati, JA Lyngdoh from North Shillong, Ronnie V Lyngdoh from Mylliem, Champion R Sangma from Songsak, Brigady N Marak from Bajengdoba, Billykid A Sangma from North Tura, Augustine Marak from Dadenggre, Marbud Dkhar from Mawlai and Rophul S Marak from Rongara-Siju.
Pala said eight of the 40 candidates finalised are females, which translates into 20% of tickets given by Congress to women.
These candidates are Deborah C Marak from Williamnagar, Victorealness Syiemlieh (Ranikor), Banidashisha Kharkongor (Nongthymmai), Uttora G Sangma (Ampati), Pynhunlang Nongrum (Mawkynrew), Venetia Pearl Mawlong (South Shillong), Lakyntiew Sohkhlet (Sohra) and Rona Khymdeit (Nongpoh).
He said only 10 of these 40 candidates have been MLAs and the rest are all fresh faces including six MDCs who are “educated, reliable and have a clean image”.
The MDCs are Pynshngainlang N Syiem (Pynthorumkhrah), Charles Marngar (Mawhati), Batskhem Ryntathiang (Mairang), Ronnie V Lyngdoh (Mylliem), Carnes Sohshang (Mawkyrwat) and Gabriel Wahlang (Nongstoin).
Among the 40 named are Goldenstar Nonglong (Rambrai-Jyrngam), Timjim K Momin (Mendipathar) and Karak R. Sangma (Chokpot) too.
The MPCC chief appealed to the voters to give them a chance to ensure stability and pursuance of pro-people issues.
The state Congress pitched itself as the only hope for Meghalaya to be rid of several social, political and economic crises. It claimed the state has lost in the past five years everything it had gained earlier with all sectors badly affected.
“The situation has become such that the youths are frustrated with rising unemployment and there’s a gradual exodus of youths to other states in search of jobs. Vacancies in government services have reached a point of saturation and the educated are now left with no choice but to look for opportunities in other cities,” read the party’s electoral appeal.
Stating that Meghalaya is plagued by rampant corruption in every sector from social welfare to power and civil supplies, to Assembly, public health engineering and police, Congress said such misuse of power has stunted the economy and has plunged the state into a deep financial crisis.
Furthermore, sectors such as health and tourism that once put the state on the regional and national maps, have suffered owing to mismanagement, the party said.
“Meghalaya gives an impression of a state which is full of traffic congestion, ill-managed infrastructures and essential services that are detrimental to attracting investors from outside,” Congress said.
“The other serious concern is one where constant vigil on churches and Christians, in general, threatens to rob the state of its beautiful and hard-earned secular image and a strong social mechanism which was put in place by its founding political and social leadership,” it stated.
Expressing concern over the financial health of the state, Congress said the National Statistical Office for the 2021-22 fiscal flagged Meghalaya (-1.8%) as one of the five worst-affected states and Union Territories.
“The state has to progress and come out of this mess and create the much-needed environment for domestic and foreign investments and with it, opportunities for jobs for the youths. The best way to achieve this is to vote for progress,” Congress said.
Spelling out its action plan to uplift the state, the party said it will work towards a solution-oriented future where the focus will be on the immediate and also the key long-term programmes for development and progress.
“Congress is putting up qualified people and professionals as candidates,” it said, adding that this team of young professionals understands and recognises the needs of the people.
“We appeal to the people of Meghalaya to give us an absolute majority. If Congress is voted to power with an absolute majority, it will bring back the sense of security, law and order and peace within the State and among the border residents,” the party appealed.
