Official: Shullai as DS, Syiem as RS MP

SHILLONG, APR 6: The Congress led MUA – II government will field Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator and Meghalaya unit president Sanbor Shullai as its candidate for the deputy speaker post in the Meghalaya assembly even as chief minister Mukul Sangma said he would speak to all political parties to garner their support for Shullai and Congress leader Wansuk Syiem as the Rajya Sabha MP candidate.

Sangma said he will be talking to the opposition to mobilise their support for both Shullai and Syiem so that both the posts become uncontested. In a late night development on Saturday, opposition consisting of the HPU, HSPDP and NPP under the banner of Meghalaya People’s Forum (MPF) decided not to field candidates for both the posts- deputy speaker and Rajya Sabha MP.

Shullai is all set to serve his the second term as the deputy speaker and Syiem, who is looking to fill up the Rajya Sabha MP post after the resignation of Thomas A Sangma who contested the last assembly election as an NPP candidate but lost.

The chief minister told reporters after the meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) late Saturday night that the decision to field NCP legislator Shullai as the candidate for the deputy speaker post was agreed upon by both the parties (Congress and NCP) at the national level in Delhi.

The chief minister said,  “The step is to ensure that the parties who are partners in government both at the national and state level work together in the endeavour to serve the people of the state.”

The chief minister also said that he would talk to the opposition parties for their support for Shullai and Syiem. However, with the opposition deciding not field any candidate for both the posts that now does not seem necessary.

Shullai will be filing his nomination papers on Monday next.

Shullai told reporters, “I feel elated to continue to serve in the post for the second time and will abide the direction given by the party.”

The CLP also welcomed the endorsement of the name of Wansuk Syiem to fill up the vacant Rajya Sabha MP post  by AICC president Sonia Gandhi.

Fifty-five year old  Syiem is a member of the National Commission for Women (NCW) and  has held several top posts in the Congress party both at the state and central level.

Syiem has resigned from the NCW member on Saturday and is all set to be the first woman Rajya Sabha MP from Meghalaya. She will be filing her nomination papers on Monday.

The elections of the Rajya Sabha MP will be held on April 18 from 9 am to 4 PM in the assembly, where all the legislators will vote. Counting of votes will be held on the same day at 5 pm.- By Our Reporter