By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: In an interesting move, the National People’s Party (NPP) has decided to extend support to an independent and as well as a Congress candidate in Jaintia Hills during the upcoming Assembly elections.
Disclosing this here on Monday, NPP’s Meghalaya unit president WR Kharlukhi said the party decided to support Jowai MDC Moonlight Pariat, who won the seat on an NCP ticket but later resigned from the party and Stephen Mukhim, a Congress MDC from Amlaren.
According to Kharlukhi, both the leaders had earlier approached the NPP seeking the party’s support to contest the State Assembly elections due in 2013.
The NPP has also decided not to field any candidate from in Jowai and Amlarem from where Pariat and Mukhim respectively will contest.
Kharlukhi said that both the leaders would be made associate members of the party if they win elections.
Stating that the State would get a non-Congress government after the 2013 elections, he said, “Congress has not been able announce its candidates due to the ongoing infighting in the party.”
On pre-poll alliance, he said deliberations were going on with different parties.
He, however, ruled out the possibility of a pre-poll alliance with BJP.
The NPP so far has named 30 candidates for the 2013 assembly elections.
