SHILLONG, April 18: The deferred election to the Sohiong Assembly seat promises to be an interesting battle with the two chief constituents of the MDA 2.0 — NPP and UDP — exuding confidence of winning the seat and increasing their tally in the House.
The UDP is confident that it would win the Sohiong seat and double its 2018 seat tally of six while the NPP is confident that the electorate would vote in favour of the single-largest party in the state.
UDP’s Sohiong candidate, Synshar Kupar Roy Lyngdoh Thabah attracted a sizeable crowd when he, accompanied by top party leaders, filed his nomination papers at the deputy commissioner’s office on Tuesday.
“Our confidence is drawn from the interaction with the people of the constituency. Many of them were against the UDP in previous elections, but they have made up their minds to support our candidate,” UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh said.
Party leader and minister, Paul Lyngdoh who had also accompanied Roy, said, “We are upbeat about adding the Sohiong seat to our tally of 11 when the results are declared on May 13.”
The number of seats would be double what the UDP won five years ago, he added.
Asked if the party would seek another cabinet berth if its tally increases in the House of 60 with the win, the minister said it would be too premature to say anything now.
On the possibility of smaller regional parties merging with the UDP, he said: “We have always been campaigning for the unification of the regional forces.”
While the UDP is counting on a sympathy wave in favour of its former candidate, the late HDR Lyngdoh to win the Sohiong seat, the NPP is confident that the people would vote for the candidate representing the ruling party.
NPP spokesperson Bajop Pyngrope told The Shillong Times that they have received positive vibes from the people after more than a month of groundwork. “They people have decided that they do not have to look beyond the single-largest party,” he said.
He insisted the sympathy factor would not work for the UDP as its candidate for the February 27 election was not a sitting MLA.
“Our candidate Samlin Malngiang was the sitting MLA and HDR Lyngdoh was defeated in the 2018 polls,” he said.
The election to the Sohiong Assembly constituency in the East Khasi Hills district is scheduled on May 10. The election was deferred following the death of HDR Lyngdoh ahead of the February 27 polls.
On the other hand, the HSPDP admitted that the defection of their MLA, Samlin Malngiang was a setback for the party.
“It is really unfortunate that he (Malngiang) decided to leave the party which had given him so much. He won the election from the party and we had even made him a Cabinet minister. We had expected him to show some gratitude towards the party,” HSPDP president KP Pangniang said.
Malngiang is set to contest the election as the NPP candidate.
Pangniang said that the party will go all out to ensure the victory of its candidate, Sandondor Ryntathiang.
“It is not going to be easy since there are many strong candidates. But we will give our best and hope that destiny will be in our favour,” the HSPDP chief said.
