By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 8: As Meghalaya gradually heads towards the all-important by-election to the vacant Shillong parliamentary seat, BJP’s South Shillong MLA and Cabinet Minister, Sanbor Shullai’s name is gradually emerging as the consensus MDA common candidate.
Amid intensifying political activity ahead of the bypoll, senior leaders from the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) partners — including the NPP, UDP, and BJP — have reportedly reached a broad agreement to field the BJP leader as their joint nominee. Party sources indicate that backroom discussions have progressed significantly, with several coalition partners now on the same page.
While no formal announcement has been made yet, the momentum towards consensus is clear. If the arrangement materialises, the by-election is likely to witness a triangular contest, with Congress expected to field Vincent H. Pala, the Voice of the People Party (VPP) having already named Batskhem Myrboh as its candidate, and Shullai representing the united MDA front.
Shullai, however, maintained that he is not aware of any finalised discussions regarding his candidature. Speaking to reporters, the minister said he remains a disciplined party worker and will abide by whatever decision the leadership takes.
He recalled that he had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls on a BJP ticket but was unsuccessful.
Surprisingly, Shullai informed that the BJP’s central leadership has given approval to the state unit to contest the bypoll independently.
The approval means that either Shullai will contest the bypoll as the BJP candidate with backing from MDA allies or that the MDA will field another consensus candidate.
On his part, Shullai emphasised that having a BJP MP from the Khasi and Jaintia Hills would help push long-pending regional issues such as the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) and the inclusion of the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. A representative from the party at the Centre, he argued, would ensure greater responsiveness to these concerns.
With the formal declaration of the MDA candidate expected in the coming days, political observers believe that a united MDA front with Shullai as its face could consolidate anti-Congress and anti-VPP votes in what is anticipated to be a keenly contested bypoll.
