SHILLONG, May 17: Time and again ideas have been floated and discussed about unification of regional parties in the state but often such propositions have come crashing to the ground after smaller regional parties merge with the other parties.
Only recently, any move of unifying the regional force was dismissed After the PDF – floated in 2017-18 – merged with a much bigger NPP. Consequently, the PDF seems to have died its natural death.
In what may be perceived as a dig at the buoyant VPP, UDP vice president Allantry F Dkhar said that new political parties will suffer the same fate as many others have in the past, while warning electorates about the same.
Asserting that unification of regional parties is a part and parcel of UDP’s attempt to unify all regional forces under one umbrella, he added that people should repose their faith in one of the oldest and single largest regional forces in the state — the UDP.
The UDP, after its recent victory in Sohiong, where the election was deferred due to the death of former minister HDR Lyngdoh, has increased its seat tally to 12.
It may be mentioned that regional parties have played an important role in government formation in 2018 and even in 2023 Assembly polls, since none of the political parties here have been able to secure majority in the House of 60.
Around 10 years ago, a similar merger had taken place when some top leaders of KHNAM had merged with UDP whereas as HSPDP in last few elections have not been able to increase its tally to any satisfying numbers.
Lately, the newly floated Voice of People Party (VPP), before the elections, did create some wave and the party in its very first outing in the electoral arena won four seats.
On the other hand, opposition parties here often maintain that the regional parties will be eaten up by NPP due their close proximity with one another.
