SHILLONG, May 4: Cabinet Minister and UDP working president Paul Lyngdoh has dismissed the threat of NPP leaders that the his party will be asked to sit in the Opposition post the declaration of results for the Sohiong poll on May 13.
Dismissing the threat by NPP state president WR Kharlukhi and party spokespersons Bajop Pyngrope, the UDP leader said, “Let them theorize and say whatever they wish.”
He pointed out that the people’s mandate in the recent Assembly elections in the state was fractured since NPP got only eight seats out of 36 in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills whereas UDP won zero seats in Garo Hills.
“Then what do you do. You combine the strength of two parties getting the highest number of seats,” he said, apparently indicating that removing the UDP from the MDA would pose problems for the NPP as it would have to be content with a very thin majority in the House.
Denying any speculations about some UDP MLAs looking to merge with NPP, he also said that even UDP can ask NPP to merge with it.
Lyngdoh sounded confident about the prospect of UDP candidate Synshar Kupar Roy Lyngdoh Thabah in the May 10 election in Sohiong, saying that he is an energetic and highly educated person.
A win in Sohiong will take the NPP tally to 27 and with the People’s Democratic Front (PDF) all set to merge with NPP, the ruling party’s strength would go up to 29. The MDA 2.0 coalition, which currently enjoys a comfortable majority in the Assembly with 45 members, could add to its tally with a win either for the NPP or the UDP in Sohiong.
However, if the UDP wins the deferred election and, consequently, it is removed from the MDA, the ruling coalition would see its strength go down to 33 in the House of 60.
It may be added here that the NPP state president had exuded confidence that the government would not be affected even if the UDP is removed from the MDA.
He had also indicated that the political situation will change after the Sohiong poll.
“Something is going to happen for sure, big or small,” he had added.
