SHILLONG, Oct 29: United Democratic Party (UDP) chief adviser Bindo Mathew Lanong suspected Nongkrem MLA Lambor Malngiang shelled out money to get the party’s ticket.
“I don’t see any reason or merit for the UDP to award a ticket to Malngiang to contest the Assembly elections. Perhaps, he paid some money to get the party ticket,” Lanong said on Saturday, expressing disappointment over the UDP’s decision.
Overlooked by the party, he decided to contest the polls from Nongkrem as an Independent candidate. He said he would have agreed to work together if the party had found a better candidate.
“How can I work with a person who keeps shifting allegiance from one party to another? He had first successfully contested the 2003 elections on the KHNAM’s ticket. He then contested from the Congress and in 2018, he won the polls as an Independent candidate,” Lanong said.
“My question is on what basis he was awarded the ticket. I will not accept and surrender. I will not join any party but contest the polls as an Independent candidate,” the UDP chief adviser said.
Malngiang has already confirmed he will contest the polls from Nongkrem on the UDP’s ticket.
Earlier, UDP East Khasi Hills district president Titosstarwell Chyne had stated the party decided to field Malngiang as he stands a good chance of winning the polls. Chyne also said that Lanong is one of the senior-most leaders and the party fully respects his contributions.
“We are trying to make him understand that the party wants to win. It is a unanimous decision of the party to award tickets to those aspirants who have more chances of winning,” he had said.
