SHILLONG, Dec 29: The United Democratic Party (UDP) is set to release its second list of candidates for the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) elections on Monday.
The elections for both Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) are scheduled to be held on February 21 next year.
Speaking to reporters, UDP working president Titosstarwell Chyne confirmed that the second list will include candidates for three seats in the KHADC and five seats in the JHADC.
He further mentioned that the party had announced candidates for 25 seats in its first list, comprising 15 from the KHADC and 10 from the JHADC. The third and final list of candidates is expected to be released in early January.
Chyne stated that the UDP is gearing up for the upcoming elections and plans to contest the majority of the seats. However, he noted that the party might refrain from fielding candidates in one or two constituencies due to agreements with the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP).
On the decision to field sitting UDP MLAs in some constituencies, Chyne clarified that this was not a directive from the central leadership. Instead, the recommendations to field MLAs came from party circles and constituency-level discussions.
It is worth noting that the UDP has already fielded three sitting MLAs: Pius Marwien from Ranikor constituency, Synshar Kupar Roy Lyngdoh from Sohiong constituency, and Matthew Beyondstar Kurbah from Mawphlang constituency.