“All UDP legislators to contest 2018 polls”

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, APR 17: Opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) today announced that all the eight sitting legislators will be the party candidates for the upcoming 2018 state assembly elections.

“We have unanimously decided that all the sitting MLAs will be the official candidates of the party in the 2018 state elections,” UDP chief Donkupar Roy told reporters after the party’s CEC meeting held here on Monday.

“They (MLAs) are also asked to inform the party on whether they accepted the decision within May 31,” he said.

Roy said that the decision was taken since the party wants to ensure that there is no repeat of the incident which took place just before the last 2013 Assembly elections in which one of its MLAs decided not to contest from the party ticket.

He was referring to the former MLA of the party from Nongkrem Constituency Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit, who is now heading the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP).

“He (Basaiawmoit) informed the party at the last minute and we don’t want a repeat of such incident,” Roy added.

As part of the UDP’s preparation for the 2018 elections, the party chief also informed that the CEC today constituted the State Election Committee (SEC) which will be headed by him as its Chairman and Jemino Mawthoh as Secretary.

According to him, the presidents of various district units of the party will be members of the SEC for selection of the official candidates of the party.