LS elections: UDP waits for allies nod

SHILLONG, MAR 7: The United Democratic Party (UDP) decided to wait for its Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC)’s coalition partners to support the party’s candidate Paul Lyngdoh for the Shillong Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming 16^th Lok Sabha elections slated for April 9.

The decision to wait for its allies support the Hills State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) was taken at the central executive committee (CEC) meeting of the UDP on Friday.

The UDP decided to put up its working president Paul Lyngdoh, who is also a legislator from West Shillong assembly constituency, as its candidate and is drumming up supports of the non-Congress parties to support him as common candidate against the Congress candidate.

“Lyngdoh’s candidature was unanimously confirmed and endorsed by the party’s CEC,” UDP working president Bindo M Lanong told reporters after Friday’s meeting. He however said, “But, we are waiting for the consensus from all non-Congress political parties before making the official announcement.”

Lanong informed that the matter is still in the negotiating stage with HSPDP and KHNAM. “We have recently met the leaders of the two regional political parties to negotiate with them on the possibilities of having a common candidate,” he said.

Lanong said the HSPDP and KHNAM have asked for time before they arrive at a final decision.  He informed that the two parties are likely to communicate their decision latest by tomorrow.

Lanong said he is positive of getting a favourable replies from the HSPDP and KHNAM on ground that they are coalition partners in the KHADC.

Lanong said that the party had willingly agreed to work together in the district council and had also elected HSPDP vice president Ardent M Basaiawmoit as the leader so he is confident of that the HSPDP will reciprocate by supporting Lyngdoh as the common candidate.

Stating that the present coalition in the district council is a platform of unity and togetherness in which the three regional parties were able to put the Congress on the sideline, Lanong said he expects that this symbolic platform should also appear very distinctly now for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.-By Our Reporter