By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 13: The political parties in the state have slowly but surely started their ground preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
At a programme here on Wednesday, NPP national president Conrad K Sangma directed his party’s state president WR Kharlukhi to start the preparations for the polls.
The direction assumed significance with the NPP leadership indicating HM Shangpliang, who joined the party after quitting the BJP, could be fielded from the Shillong Lok Sabha constituency.
Kharlukhi was initially tipped to contest the Shillong seat but he declined. The party was also learnt to have approached NESO chairman Samuel Jyrwa but he, too, turned down the offer.
The UDP has also started preparing for the polls. Party general secretary Jemino Mawthoh is said to be out of the race, as is Paul Lyngdoh, a minister in the MDA 2.0 government.
An option for the party is PT Sawkmie, who lost the Assembly election from Mawlai. He confirmed having discussed his candidature with the state party president. “It is for the party to take a call,” he said.
The BJP, learnt to have planned to name Shangpliang as its candidate for the Shillong seat, has been scouting for the “right candidate” after he joined the NPP. Among the saffron party’s probable candidates is police officer turned politician, M Kharkrang, who has been active for the past few weeks.
Congress, on the other hand, is unlikely to look beyond state president Vincent H Pala who is hopeful of representing the party from Shillong for a fourth term.
The only party that has named its candidate, Ricky AJ Syngkon, is the Voice of the People Party.
