SHILLONG, June 30: UDP general secretary, Jemino Mawthoh on Sunday dismissed allegations that weak leadership qualities of the incumbent leadership has led to the downfall of the party.
“How can you say that the present leadership in the UDP is weak? We in the UDP believe in collective leadership,” Mawthoh said while reacting to a recent comment by former UDP leader Bindo Mathew Lanong.
Mawthoh clarified that the party believes in having a leader who can hold the party together and carry everyone along.
He said the party has increased its strength from six MLAs in 2018 to 12 MLAs now due the efforts of the present leadership. “We have got more MDCs now in both the KHADC and JHADC. The number would have been more had some of the MDCs not shifted their allegiance to other parties due to the absence of the anti-defection law in the district councils,” he UDP leader said.
Lanong had earlier claimed that the UDP was being led by people who are fresh and have no experience of leading a political party.
The former UDP leader also said that party will not be able to rebuild itself in the coming years under the present leadership especially after the dismal show in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha poll.