Congress on Pre-Poll Alliance

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, MAY 26: The ruling Congress today said it doesn’t see the pre-poll alliance between the two regional political parties – UDP and HSPDP as a threat for the party in the forthcoming 2018 election.

“This (regional parties not a threat) is because the Congress party is becoming stronger day by day,” Congress leader and cabinet minister Prestone Tynsong said here.

The United Democratic Party (UDP) and Hill State People Democratic Party (HSPDP) on Thursday formed the Coordination Committee for gearing up their preparation to jointly fight the elections from 36 seats in Khasi-Jaintia Hills.

The main objective of the pre-poll alliance was to ensure that a non-Congress government is formed in 2018.

Exuding confidence that the ruling Congress would come back to power, Tynsong however said, “We will leave it to the wisdom of the people of the state.”

Asked, the cabinet minister said that the unity of the regional parties against the Congress is not a new thing.

“It has not come as a surprise to me because they (regional parties) have been trying for such kind of unity for the past many years,” he said.

Reacting to a query, Tynsong said that such an alliance by the regional parties will not be any different from the way he had seen it five to ten years ago.