SHILLONG, July 20: The ruling NPP has downplayed speculation surrounding former Cabinet minister James PK Sangma being projected as the party’s next Rajya Sabha candidate, stating that no such decision has been taken or discussed within the party so far.
Responding to questions about an internal understanding within the NPP to nominate James, NPP state president and Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said he was unaware of any such arrangement and dismissed it as mere speculation.
His remarks come amid mounting speculations that James, who currently serves as the NPP’s national working president, is being positioned to succeed incumbent MP, Wanwei Roy Kharlukhi once his term ends in June 2026.
Kharlukhi has already made public his intention not to seek re-election, prompting political observers to read deeper into recent developments within the party. Among them is the 2024 Gambegre bye-election, which saw James opting out on favour of Mehtab Chandee, wife of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.
According to party insiders, this was not coincidental but part of a larger internal understanding to pave the way for James’s return to active politics through the Rajya Sabha.
