SHILLONG, Jan 19: The mass joining of members from the Umroi Constituency People’s Forum (UCPF) to the Congress ahead of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) elections is set to take place on Tuesday.
Confirming this on Sunday, Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) working president, Pynshngain N Syiem, stated that UCPF members would formally join the party following the recent announcement of former UCPF member MD Syiem as the Congress candidate for Umroi Constituency.
Syiem claimed that his switch to Congress was made with the full knowledge of UCPF’s general body. Notably, 32 members of the UCPF Executive Committee were present when Syiem aligned with the Congress on January 3, in the presence of senior leaders and members of the Umroi Block Congress Committee (UBCC).
When asked about former Umroi MLA George B. Lyngdoh’s decision to contest, Syiem dismissed any major impact on Congress, asserting that Lyngdoh had failed to break the forum.
“We know that he (George) will be contesting from a newly formed forum. If he had contested from the UCPF, it would have been different,” said Syiem, expressing confidence that the mass joining of UCPF members would strengthen Congress’ chances in Umroi.
Meanwhile, the decision of former Umroi MLA George B. Lyngdoh to contest has come as a surprise, as he had earlier withdrawn from the race for the UCPF ticket.
Initially, four aspirants—George B. Lyngdoh, MD Syiem, John Syiemiong, and Iaishah Rymbai—had applied for the UCPF ticket. Although public consultations overwhelmingly favoured George B. Lyngdoh, allegations surfaced that MD Syiem had threatened to undermine the forum if denied the ticket.
To avoid internal discord, Lyngdoh withdrew his candidacy, allowing Syiem to secure the UCPF ticket.
However, MD Syiem later defected to Congress, sidelining Arbinus Lyngdoh, another UCPF leader. In response, George B. Lyngdoh and Arbinus Lyngdoh decided to join forces, rallying public support for Lyngdoh to contest as an independent candidate in the 2025 MDC elections.
At a public meeting convened by the newly formed Umroi Democratic Front (UDF) on Friday at Umroi Umdohbyrthih, hundreds of supporters pledged full backing for Lyngdoh’s candidacy.
Speaking to media persons, Lyngdoh expressed profound gratitude for the people’s overwhelming support. He explained that discussions with Arbinus Lyngdoh and the public centred on the UCPF’s setback following Syiem’s defection to Congress and the denial of a ticket to Arbinus Lyngdoh. This led to a collective decision to field George B. Lyngdoh as an independent candidate.
Speculations of NPP’s involvement
Meanwhile, sources have not ruled out the possibility of pressure from the National People’s Party (NPP) in influencing Lyngdoh’s decision to contest, allegedly to weaken Congress’ prospects.
According to sources, Lyngdoh’s close association with the NPP is well known, and he had reportedly planned to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Shillong under the NPP banner. However, this plan did not materialise due to opposition from some NPP leaders.
With political dynamics shifting rapidly in Umroi, the upcoming KHADC elections are expected to witness a heated contest between Congress and the independent faction led by Lyngdoh.