By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 12: The United Democratic Party (UDP) will convene its crucial Central Executive Committee (CEC) meet on Monday to deliberate over the upcoming MP and MDC elections.
The CEC meeting will be attended by all office-bearers, president, secretaries and representatives from across the districts and discussions will be held on the choice of candidate and the strategy for the Lok Sabha elections to Shillong and Tura parliamentary seats as well as the MDC elections.
The UDP will collate all suggestions and inputs from its officer-bearers hailing from different districts and a procedure will follow to take it forward from there.
It may be mentioned that three candidates — Khasi Authors’ Society (KAS) president KL Nonglait, former HYC president and present UDP member, Robert June Kharjahrin, and UDP member PT Sawkmie — have expressed their desire to contest the Shillong seat representing the UDP. This is also likely to find a place in the discussions salted for Monday.
The party will also discuss the matter with its Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA) partner, the HSPDP.
The UDP and HSPDP had recently reorganised the Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA) to be headed yet again by UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh as its chairman and HSPDP senior member Martle Mukhim as co-chairman.
Both have also agreed to field a single candidate, albeit they have not zeroed in on a candidate.
The UDP, which has established itself as the second-largest party in the state with 12 MLAs, is confident of a superlative performance in the Lok Sabha polls due next year.
The party, which enjoys a position of strength in Khasi-Jaintia Hills with a large number of MLAs and MDCs, is hoping to send an MP to Parliament next year.
For the MDC elections, the UDP is banking on its performance and ability to provide stability to mobilise support.