VPP denies member party ticket twice despite Ardent’s becking

SHILLONG, Feb 15: A VPP member in West Khasi Hills, who was initially pressured by party chief Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit to apply for the ticket, has now claimed that he was denied the party ticket twice.
The VPP Nongstoin unit’s organising secretary, Willstone Sohshang, clarified on Saturday that he has no plans to contest the election at present. However, he alleged that Basaiawmoit had personally urged him to apply for the party ticket, stating that the party was dissatisfied with the four initial applicants.
Initially hesitant, Sohshang said he took time to consider the request before deciding to submit his application as per the party chief’s wishes. “But in the end, I was not given the ticket, as the party decided to allot it to another aspirant,” he said.
Later, he claimed that Basaiawmoit again informed him that the party was reconsidering the Nongstoin ticket, as they were unhappy with the previously announced candidate.
“Once again, he pressured me to be ready to contest,” Sohshang alleged.
According to him, Basaiawmoit assured him during a meeting at his Laitkor office on December 17 last year, in the presence of 20 party members from the Nongstoin unit, that he would receive the ticket. “But yet again, I was denied. This time, the party decided to allot the ticket to someone who had not even applied. Many party members were upset because they believed the ticket should have been given to one of the four original applicants,” he said.
Earlier, the VPP faced a setback as 23 primary leaders and members resigned from the party, citing dissatisfaction with the top leadership and its style of functioning. However, they clarified that they had no intention of joining or supporting any other candidate.
The controversy began after the VPP revoked Marbiang Nongsiej’s ticket following the circulation of images and videos from 2021, showing him congratulating Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on securing a prospective mining lease. The party alleged that Nongsiej was involved in the coal trade, raising concerns about its impact on the party’s image.
Defending the decision, Basaiawmoit stated that media reports had prompted the party to reconsider Nongsiej’s candidature. The VPP later announced Juristman Iawphniaw as its new candidate for Nongstoin.