Nongkrem: A tough turf to get reelected

SHILLONG, FEB 11: Nongkrem electorates are harsh on its legislators. With the exception of two, all the other legislators have not been re-elected twice. Considering this political history, the two prominent contenders, sitting legislator Ardent Basaiawmoit and former legislator Lambor Malngiang, in the 2013 Meghalaya assembly elections slated for February 23 knows the tough road ahead to convince the electorates of their constituency to elect them.

After Meghalaya became a full-fledged state, the Nongkrem electorates elected late Prof. Radhon Singh Lyngdoh (APHLC) but in 1978 he lost to Independent candidate Dominic Roblin Nongkynrih. Nongkynrih who in 1983 contested as PDIC ticket was lucky to retain his seat for the second consecutive term.

However, Nongkynrih was not lucky the third time as in 1988 he lost to Independent candidate HS Shylla. Shylla, like Nongkynrih, became the second legislator to be reelected the second time in 1993.

For some reasons Shylla did not contest the 1998. The 1998 assembly elections saw a record number of candidates vying for the Nongkrem assembly seat. Fourteen candidates were in the fray and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) candidate Lambor Malngiang clinched the seat in 2003.

Lambor, however, was not as lucky as Nongkynrih and Shylla as he too lost the 2008 elections to United Democratic Party (UDP) candidate Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit.

It is important to remind that after Shylla took a short sabbatical in 1993, he had tried his lucky in 2003 and 2008 elections but was rejected by the Nongkrem electorates both the time.

For the February 23 assembly elections, six candidates apart from Basaiawmoit and sitting MDC and former minister Malngiang are in the fray.

Aware of the Nongkrem electorates penchant for not reelecting its assembly representative twice Basaiawmoit, who is a former Federation of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo People’ (FKJGP) president, was guarded of his chances of being reelected this time round. He simply told this website, “In five years time the work that I have done in the constituency speaks volume. I have brought in ten crore rupees road project in my constituency”.

The rabble-rousing Basaiawmoit will now be contesting as Hills State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) candidate as he had been expelled from the UDP for rebelling against the party by challenging its decision to give the party ticket to a non-tribal in Garo hills.

Basaiawmoit, however, said, “Nongkrem will rewrite history, as the electorates who only twice have reelected a legislator twice will to that for the third time.”  A health-freak he has banned smoking in the compound of his residence and felt this decision to ban smoking will not be taken otherwise by his supporters because they too have become health conscious now.

Lambor, who is now contesting as the Congress candidate, however is hopeful that Nongkrem electorates will give him a second chance to serve them as their legislator. He said, “People are now fed-up with the present leader as indicate by their decision to elect me as the MDC after having voted me out in 2008 assembly elections.” He said the fact that they elected him to the district council two years after rejecting him as their legislator hints that the Nongkrem electorates were not happy with Basaiawmoit.- By Associate Editor Suraj Joshi