Meghalaya will witness many sitting MDCs contesting 2018 Assembly polls
By Lamphrang Nongspung
Shillong, Oct 29, 2017: With just few months left for the state to go to polls, candidates from different parties are vying for a ticket to contest elections. Apart from sitting legislators, Meghalaya will also witness a battle with many new faces including former bureaucrats and sitting MDCs.
Several sitting MDCs of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) are planning to contest the upcoming 2018 Assembly poll in the State.
The decision of many of the MDCs to contest the upcoming Assembly elections is not a new thing in Meghalaya. Even in the past, there are many MDCs who contested the Assembly elections.
In fact, it is an established trend in the State that anyone who is elected as an MDC always aspires to become an MLA. The post of an MDC is also being looked at as a stepping stone for a career in the State politics.
ALSO READ: Meghalaya to witness many former & present bureaucrats contesting 2018 Polls
However, one uncommon thing in this elections is that many of the MDCs are not contesting from the party they had won the district council elections in 2014.
Many of the MDCs who have won the elections on the tickets of different political parties have joined the newly formed People's Democratic Front (PDF) to contest the upcoming elections.
The HSPDP MDCs who have now joined the PDF to contest the upcoming elections include Grace Mary Kharpuri from Nongshken, LG Nongsiej from Nongstoin and Morningstar Mawsor from Mawthengkut.
KHNAM have also lost two of its MDCs to PDF which include James Ban Basiawmoit from Mawkhar-Pynthorumkhrah and Latiplang Kharkongor from Nongthymmai.
In fact, KHNAM also lost its MDC from Mawlai in the form of Process T Sawkmie who have now joined the Congress. Sawkmie is contesting the upcoming election on a Congress ticket.
Even the Congress has lost two its MDCs to the PDF which include Banteidor Lyngdoh from and Albinus Lyngdoh from Umroi. It may be mentioned that Albinus had first shifted to the UDP before joining the PDF.
The independent MDC from Mawhati, James Sylliang will also contest the upcoming elections on the PDF ticket.
Meanwhile, even the National People's Party (NPP) has managed to pull quite a number of MDCs into its fold.
Besides Nongkrem MDC, Hispreachingson Shylla who recently joined the party, the MDCs who are planning to join the NPP includes Pyniaid Sing Syiem from Sohryngkham, Laban Mawprem MDC, Ricky Shullai Victor Ranee from Jirang and Jansing Tynsong from Pynursla. All the four MDCs except for Jansing tynsong have confirmed of contesting the upcoming elections on the NPP tickets.
The BJP have also managed to set its foot in the KHADC for the first time with the former Congress MDC from Laitumkhrah, Neil Antonio War joining the party. War will contest the upcoming election on the BJP ticket.
From the MDCs who have switch allegiance to another political parties, there are still many MDCs who remains loyal to their original political parties and they too will be contesting the upcoming elections.
From the UDP, the MDCs who are contesting the elections include Rona Khymdeit from Nongpoh and Donkupar Sumer from Umsning.
However, the Congress MDCs who are contesting the upcoming elections include Donevan Kharwanlang from Sohra and Kimfa Marbaniang from Rambrai-Jyrngam.
KHNAM MDC from Jaiaw, Adelbert Nongrum who had unsuccessfully contested the 2013 Assembly elections will again contest the upcoming elections.
TNT News
