SHILLONG: The National People’s Party (NPP) may field a chief ministerial candidate for the 2018 Assembly polls.
A party source said there is an effort to zero in on a leader who can take the party to victory in the next Assembly polls. The names of Tura MP Conrad Sangma and former Rajya Sabha member Thomas Sangma are doing the rounds for the job.
NPP is hopeful that it can make a difference taking advantage of the weak position of the Congress in Garo Hills.
During an interaction with GHADC CEM Denang Sangma in Tura, he said going by the mood of the people, the Congress may not have any chance to win in the next Assembly polls. He was, however, tightlipped about who would be NPP’s chief ministerial candidate for the 2018 polls.
“We have to discuss the matter within the party for a final decision, though the party wanted to project a chief ministerial candidate,” Sangma said.
He hoped that NPP would be able to secure majority seats out of the total 24 in Garo Hills.
Asked about the pre-poll alliance with BJP and other like-minded parties, the GHADC chief said Conrad has been appealing to BJP for a pre-poll understanding. “We are trying for a possible alliance ahead of the polls,” Sangma said.
In the last 2013 Assembly polls, NPP could secure only two seats represented by James Sangma and Nihim Shira as majority of the seats went to the Congress.
However, NPP’s victory in the by-election to Tura Lok Sabha seat, which was won by Conrad, rejuvenated the party.
An NPP leader said banking on the anti-incumbency scenario, the party hopes to get as many as 16 seats out of 24 in the next Assembly polls.
