TURA/SHILLONG: UDP leaders in Garo Hills are keen to field a candidate against Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in the South Tura by-election.
UDP is a partner in the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance. The move comes a day after Cabinet minister AL Hek said on Wednesday that instead of Ranikor, BJP should focus on South Tura. He hinted at the party contesting the West Garo Hills seat.
The UDP leaders from Garo Hills held a meeting at the residence of BG Momin, UDP’s Garo Hills region president, at Bangsi Apal village in Mendipather, North Garo Hills, where it was decided that the party would field a candidate.
“The decision to field a candidate was unanimous. Moreover, there is no agreement that stops UDP or other MDA allies from fielding a candidate to the by-poll,” said Utzol Sangma, UDP’s general secretary in Garo Hills.
Linden Momin, working president of the UDP for Garo Hills, said people want a regional party to govern the state and “we are confident of snatching victory in the by-election to South Tura constituency”.
The move comes days after Sangma said he would appeal to the allies to support his candidature.
Although the local unit of the party has announced the fielding of a candidate against the chief minister, the central leadership of the UDP is yet to endorse the decision given the fact that it was UDP president and current assembly speaker, Donkupar Roy, who had rejected the Congress overtures and threw his lot with the NPP asking Sangma to take over as the new chief minister of the state.
PN Syiem, who is the chairman of another allied party PDF, is also projecting himself as the common candidate in Ranikor constituency.
However, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong is confident that Sangma will be successful in South Tura by-poll.
“NPP is up and ready to deal with any odds and there is nothing to worry as far as Ranikor and South Tura by-polls are concerned,” Tynsong said on Thursday.
He added that it was NPP’s duty to request its coalition partners for support to ensure the Sangma’s victory and as far as the allies’ common candidate against NPP is concerned, “it may or may not happen”.
“People have clearly given their mandate in favour of NPP in the recently concluded Assembly elections which shows their faith in the party,” Tynsong said.
