By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 12: The leaders of different political parties are exploring the possibilities of jumping ship ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Sources on Thursday said the National People’s Party and Trinamool Congress leader George B Lyngdoh, who lost the last Assembly election, are in talks.
Unconfirmed reports said the discussions revolve around Lyngdoh’s possible switchover to the NPP before the Lok Sabha polls. He, however, has a challenger in HM Shangpliang who crossed over from the BJP to be a contender for an NPP ticket.
Sources also said Saleng Sangma, a vocal leader from the Garo Hills, is being pushed by Congress to contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Tura parliamentary seat. Senior party leader Deborah Marak said she would contest the polls if the party wanted her to.
There are also murmurs about former Chief Minister Mukul M Sangma making a comeback to Congress. The party is learnt to have been in touch with the TMC leader, who may have some preconditions for joining the party again.
The BJP, on the other hand, is said to be pushing AL Hek to become the party’s candidate for the Shillong Lok Sabha seat while Bernard Marak could be projected for the Tura seat.
The United Democratic Party, too, has three aspirants for the Shillong seat.
The Voice of the People Party is the only political entity that has chalked out its strategy for the Lok Sabha polls, announcing Ricky AJ Syngkon as its candidate.