Shillong, Dec 17: A veteran politician of the state and a nominated MDC in the NPP-ruled KHADC, Bindo Mathew Lanong on Monday revealed that he had decided to support the group led by Chief Executive Member (CEM), Pyniaid Sing Syiem.
Lanong has taken the decision after the UDP party leadership has not responded to his letter which he had written to express his keenness to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha election from the Shillong Parliamentary seat.
At the same time, the veteran MDC has not ruled out the possibilities of him joining the NPP since he is now a free man.
“As of now, I have no such plan of joining any party since I want to enjoy this moment of being an independent. But I will be officially submitting my letter of support to the EC-led by the NPP on Tuesday,” Lanong told reporters.
The veteran MDC said that he had decided to write to the party leadership in April this year with the appeal to make a new beginning after his decision to contest as an independent candidate from Nongkrem constituency against the party official candidate in the Assembly polls held earlier this year.
“I have written to both the party president and general secretary expressing my keenness to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. But the party has not responded to my letter,” he said.
Lanong further stated that he had again written another letter in June as reminder to the letter he had written in April.
“But there was no response to both the letters. Finally, I was compelled to again write in August to the party leadership with the request to treat my application for the party ticket for upcoming Lok Sabha polls as withdrawn,” the veteran MDC said.
He said that this kind of treatment by the UDP has come as a surprise since the party president, Metbah Lyngdoh himself had made a statement in the media that he is still a member of the UDP.
“What made him convinced that the party does not want him anymore after I was not invited for the General Council meeting,” he said.
Pointing out that the majority who are currently in the UDP are newcomers, Lanong said that he had never jumped or switched to any party ever since he had join active politics and was elected as an MDC in 1972.
“I was part of the APHLC, HPU and finally when it became the UDP in 1997. Party has changed its name but I have continued to remain with the same party,” he said.
When asked if his decision to support the NPP-led EC is not a betrayal to the UDP since they have allowed him to remain in the position of the nominated MDC, he does not agree that the present leadership in the UDP are responsible for his continuation as the nominated MDC in the KHADC.
“I have been appointed as the nominated MDC on the recommendations made by former president of the UDP, late Dr Donkupar Roy. It was late Dr Donkupar Roy who has given me this position,” Lanong asserted.
The veteran MDC also disagrees that his decision to contest against the party official candidate, Lambor Malngiang in the Assembly polls can be termed as ‘anti party activities’.
“Instead it is the party leadership of the UDP who should be blamed for the anti-party activities since they have given tickets to someone who is not a member of the party,” Lanong concluded.