By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 16: NPP national president and Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday neither denied nor disagreed with reports that his party has been holding discussions with Trinamool Congress vice-president George B Lyngdoh.
He also said the party has “multiple options” for fielding candidates for the Lok Sabha elections but everybody would accept the decision taken collectively.
His statement followed reports that the Dhar Group, a prominent business house, has been exerting pressure on the NPP to nominate Dasakhiatbha Lamare from the Shillong Lok Sabha seat. The group is said to be backed by six to seven MLAs.
Speculations are also rife that a section of NPP leaders is keen on bringing TMC leader Lyngdoh aboard but the possibility was negated after the influential Dhar brothers advised the party to field Lamare.
“It is a good, positive sign. It shows there is a lot of interest in the NPP. It reflects that there are a lot of people who are keen to contest on the party ticket,” Sangma said when asked if the party is caught between Lyngdoh and Lamare.
“There are challenges and we will have to carry everybody along… We like to take a democratic consensus decision. Sometimes it is possible, sometimes not,” he said, declining to say anything about “who is approaching whom”.
Neither denying nor accepting the reports on Lyngdoh and Lamare, he added that a decision would eventually be taken in the greater interest of the party.
Sangma said the party would soon hold its national executive meeting and all the states (where the NPP has a presence) would be asked to start the procedure of inviting applications for contesting the Lok Sabha polls.
On the Tura Lok Sabha seat, he said: “Individuals will apply although we have our MP and I am told that she is keen to contest again. But the party will decide based on the applications received.”
The CM played down reports that a few NPP leaders are unhappy with the lobbying for the Shillong Lok Sabha seat. “The party has grown in the past many years. Differences in opinions, ideas, and concerns are democratic in nature,” he said.
“It is our duty to listen to everybody and allow people to give their opinions, show dissent, and allow healthy and constructive discussions to take place,” he said.