George to contest as Independent from Umroi in KHADC polls

NONGPOH, Jan 17: Former MLA of Umroi, George B Lyngdoh, will contest the upcoming KHADC elections, scheduled for February 21, from Umroi constituency.
This was unanimously decided during a public meeting convened by the Umroi Democratic Front (UDF), a newly formed group led by George B Lyngdoh and Arbinus Lyngdoh, along with hundreds of supporters, held on Friday at Umroi Umdohbyrthih.
Lyngdoh, one of the ticket aspirants from the Umroi Constituency Progressive Forum (UCPF), had withdrawn his candidature to allow MD Syiem to contest under the UCPF banner. However, MD Syiem later joined the Congress party and secured the ticket, sidelining Arbinus Lyngdoh.
This turn of events, marked by MD Syiem’s defection and the denial of a Congress ticket to Arbinus Lyngdoh, prompted both factions to unite. In a show of solidarity, they resolved to support George B Lyngdoh as an independent candidate for the 2025 MDC elections. The decision was backed by hundreds of people who pledged their full support at today’s meeting.
Speaking to the media, Lyngdoh expressed his profound gratitude to the people of the Umroi constituency for their overwhelming support. He shared that he and Arbinus Lyngdoh, a former MDC of Umroi, had organised the meeting to bring together supporters and deliberate on the constituency’s future, with a specific focus on the upcoming MDC elections.
The former Umroi legislator revealed that his discussions with Arbinus Lyngdoh revolved around UCPF’s setback in losing its chosen candidate, who joined Congress, and the subsequent denial of a ticket to Arbinus Lyngdoh. They, along with the public, ultimately decided to field him as an independent candidate in the elections.
He appealed to the people of the Umroi constituency, who have supported him and Arbinus Lyngdoh over the years, to extend their unwavering support this time to bring transformative development to the constituency.
Meanwhile, Arbinus Lyngdoh expressed his disappointment and shock at being denied a ticket by the Congress party, despite years of loyalty and hard work to strengthen the party. He stated that he had followed every directive from the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee, only to see the ticket handed to MD Syiem, who joined Congress just two weeks ago.
This denial prompted Arbinus Lyngdoh and his supporters to leave Congress and fully commit to ensuring George B Lyngdoh’s victory in the upcoming elections, in a show of unity and determination.