SHILLONG: The candidate of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) and NPP state president, Dr WR Kharlukhi has been elected to the Rajya Sabha from Meghalaya. Dr Kharlukhi defeated Congress candidate, Kennedy Khyriem by 20 votes. Out of the total 59 votes polled, a total number of 39 votes were cast in favour of Kharlukhi. One vote was rejected. It may be mentioned that KHNAM MLA Adelbert Nongrum had abstained from voting.
The election was conducted while following the protocols in view of the pandemic as the temperature of all the MLAs were screened and many sanitized their hands before entering the voting room.
Soon after the results were announced, WR Kharlukhi said that he would prioritise fulfilling the aspirations of the people of the state while making it clear that he would pursue the demand of exempting Meghalaya from the purview of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act.
A humble Kharlukhi, said that he has always been involved in State politics and this is a new venture and he needs to learn certain things.
” I am a good learner all my life and I will learn it soon and I will not let my state down ,” he said.
Meanwhile, NPP leader and Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong said ,”The MDA coalition stands together strong and firm and the result of the election shows it all.”
He was the the president of the Jaintia Students’ Union in 1980-1983, was instrumental in forming the Meghalaya’s Students Union in 1980. He became the Joint Secretary of the North East Region Students Union in 1980.
In 1984, he joined Synod College as a lecturer and after a service of more than 20 years , he became the Head of the Department of History. He retired as an Associate Professor in 2017.
He had joined the Hills People Union (HPU) in 1986. In 1997, the HPU together with a majority faction of the Hill State People’s Democratic Party formed the United Democratic Party (UDP.
He left the UDP in 1999 and joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) under the leadership of Late PA. Sangma. He had also served in the capacity of the State president of the NCP from 2007-2012.
In August 2012 late PA Sangma left NCP and formed NPP. Dr Kharlukhi has been serving as the president of the NPP in Meghalaya till date.
