By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Jan 20: The state Congress has set the Lok Sabha election ball rolling by inviting applications from aspirants willing to contest from the Shillong and Tura seats.
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Ronnie V Lyngdoh on Saturday said no elected members – MP, MLA or MDC – of the party should take it for granted that they will be allotted party tickets.
“…We have a process and…we invite applications from candidates,” Lyngdoh said, reacting to a query if the Congress will invite applications for the Shillong seat as sitting MP Vincent H Pala is expected to contest from here on the party’s ticket.
The CLP leader said the Congress has invited applications from those willing to contest the polls from the two seats. He said the MPCC will sit and decide on the applications, most likely by January 23 or 24.
While Pala is likely to be the Congress’ Shillong candidate, it is still not clear who will be its Tura candidate.
Pala, also the MPCC chief, had earlier told The Shillong Times that some young groups want Gambegre MLA Saleng Sangma to be the party’s Tura candidate while some Mahila groups are in favour of Deborah Marak.
Deborah is the only Congress candidate who came close to defeating the Sangma family in Lok Sabha elections in the Tura seat. However, Saleng, of late, has evolved as a vocal and popular leader from the Garo Hills region.