Candidate for Shillong LS seat
SHILLONG: The State Election Committee (SEC) of the United Democratic Party (UDP) will wait for the response of non-Congress forces before taking the final call on the party’s candidate for the Shillong Parliamentary seat for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, party sources said on Monday.
The UDP had earlier decided to field the party working president Paul Lyngdoh from the Shillong Parliamentary seat.
“We are yet to take a decision on making the official announcement on the party candidates since the other like-minded parties have sought time to discuss the proposal of the UDP to support the candidate fielded by the party,” sources said.
According to party sources, the UDP sent feelers to all non-Congress forces like the BJP, KHNAM and HSPDP.
“We are hopeful to get a positive response from all of them,” sources added.
“Earlier, the UDP had decided to hold consultations with BJP, KHNAM and NPP before announcing party candidate for the Shillong Parliamentary seat,” sources said.
“The party would request HSPDP to reconsider its decision on extending support to independent candidate Rev PBM Basaiawmoit,” sources said. Besides HSPDP, KHNAM has also decided to back Rev Basaiawmoit.
“We are seeking support of all the non-Congress forces to field a ‘consensus candidate’ to take on Congress. The party candidate would have a strong political lobby to raise issues concerning the State since it is part and parcel of the North East Regional Political Front (NERPF) which is likely to have a pre-poll alliance with NDA at the national level,” the UDP working president had told newsmen.
