SHILLONG, June 26: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has downplayed the delay in issuance of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for its candidate Batskhem Myrboh, a NEHU professor, to contest the upcoming Shillong Parliamentary By-election.
Since Myrboh requires an NOC from the university to contest the polls, the party confirmed he has approached the High Court of Meghalaya over the matter.
“The matter is in the High Court of Meghalaya and it is up to the Court. In few days, the Court will give the order,” VPP MLA Brightstarwell Marbaniang said.
In a separate but related development, the VPP alleged that former Cabinet Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh was dropped from the State Cabinet based on a “one man” decision of the MDA Government. Without naming Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, Marbaniang said the CM should be asked what they have done to Ampareen Lyngdoh.
“Ampareen Lyngdoh was attending a two-day programme in Delhi. She attended the first day programme as a minister and next day she attended the programme as an MLA,” Marbaniang said, adding that she was dropped from the Cabinet without consultation. The statements were made while reacting to claims of a rift within the VPP. Marbaniang strongly denied any internal rift and accused the ruling alliance of trying to create a false narrative by spreading rumours that VPP is a “one man party.”
“Whatever decision we take, it is our collective decision and not a one man decision,” he asserted. He added that the party welcomes anyone who subscribes to its ideology, but made it clear: “We can’t assure tickets and if anyone is looking to join our party with the sole intention of getting tickets, please don’t come.”
Marbaniang also dismissed rumours that party supremo Ardent M. Basaiawmoit is eyeing the 2028 polls from Mawlai constituency. “If the party entrusts me in 2028, I will contest the election and if the party entrusts Basaiawmoit, he too will contest and if the party find him suitable, he will not contest the election,” he said.
He claimed that VPP continues to enjoy strong support from its workers and supporters across the city and urban areas.
