LS polls: Non-Cong parties form com’tte

Shillong, November 27: The non-Congress political parties have formed a Steering Committee to facilitate consultations between them to arrive at a consensus and common candidate for the Shillong Lok Sabha in the upcoming parliamentary elections slated for early 2014.

The members of the steering committee were drawn from the four political parties that includes Batkupar Wahlang and Strong Kharjana from KHNAM, W Kharlukhi and Conrad Sangma, from NPP, Metbah Lyngdoh and Jemino Mawthoh from UDP, HS Syiemlieh and Bipayan Chakraborty from the BJP.

The process of consultation between the non -Congress political parties began on Wednesday.

The United Democratic Party (UDP), the biggest regional parties in the state, convened a meeting which was attended by the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) the National People’s Party (NPP) and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

Interestingly the KHNAM had recently declared its unconditional support to Rev PBM Basaiawmoit, a candidate projected by the People’s Candidate Forum (PCF), but now this support looks like a closed chapter.

“We have decided to constitute a Steering Committee to facilitate the consultation process with the aim to arrive at a consensus to put up common candidates from the Shillong parliamentary seat,”  UDP functionary Allantry F Dkhar,  who has been appointed as the secretary of the committee, told reporters after the meeting.

Dkhar informed that the committee will take forward the consultation process between the parties to zero down on a common candidate who will be put up against the Congress candidate for the Shillong Lok Sabha seat in the parliamentary elections.

The UDP has already projected its working president Paul Lyngdoh as the party’s choice for the Shillong parliamentary seat.

NPP W Kharlukhi however said that Wednesday meeting has  not yet take the name of anyone has the probable common candidates as the process of consultation has just begun. He said that the agenda of the non Congress political parties is also to fight against the Congress party in the District Council elections to be held next year.

Kharlukhi said, “We also want to ensure that non-Congress coalition executive committees are formed in the three autonomous district councils of the state.”

Clarifying on shifting of its support, KHNAM general secretary Batkupar Wahlang said that the party had indeed given their word to the PCF candidate but as they not realize that it would be a fight against the Congress there is need to have a consultation and arrive at a consensus candidate if the Congress is to be defeated.

The Hill State Peoples’ Democratic Party (HSPDP,) which had also extended its support to the PCF’s candidate, did not attend the consultation meeting today.  But Dkhar informed that the party had deputed its MLA Witting Mawsor to attend the meeting but the latter informed that he would not be able to attend due to ill health.- By Our Reporter