LS Polls: Parties ready with candidates for Shillong seat, but BJP yet to make a decision

The tone is set for the Lok Sabha elections in Meghalaya, although the ECI is yet to announce the dates for the conduct of elections. In fact all the key players in Meghalaya politics have finalized their candidates for the prestigious Shillong Lok Sabha seat.

But, the BJP which is in coalition with the NPP in the state government, is yet to decide on this.

Meghalaya BJP leader and a minister in the Conrad Sangma cabinet, AL Hek has emerged as the frontrunner for the candidature from Shillong. But any official statement by the BJP is still awaited.

When asked by Northeast Live, if he is in the race for a party ticket in the Shillong Lok Sabha seat, Hek said, “This criteria, survey and all everything it is done by the, it has nothing to do with the state BJP. It can recommend the name of anybody, it can be two, three or four, but the decision to zero down is on the national leaders of the BJP.

I think everything depends on the national leaders. They will take a call on this, they will zero down the candidates for the Tura and Shillong Lok Sabha seats.”

Hek said that the party has received massive response in the rural areas this time. The BJP leader said, “We have been to many places, particularly in all the rural areas in all the districts, we have seen a very response of the people for the BJP this time.”

Stating that BJP is the lone party which is working relentlessly for the elections, Hek feels that the right time has now come for the Saffron Party.

Hek said, “BJP is the only party which I have told several times that is working day and night, 24X7 for all kind of party activities, particularly for preparations for the elections.

See it takes time, but it has become the ripe time now and you will see how the transformation takes place for the BJP in Meghalaya and all the Northeast states.”

However, it remains to be seen as to when the BJP will finalize its candidate for the 2 parliamentary seats in Meghalaya.

As far as Shillong is concerned, Meghalaya cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh will be the NPP’s candidate, while the Congress has reportedly finalized the name of incumbent MP Vincent Pala. The Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA), a combine of the UDP and the HSPDP has decided to field Robert June Kharjahrin from the high-profile Shillong parliamentary seat.

Worth mentioning the Shillong Lok Sabha seat is a Congress bastion. The grand old party has held the seat since 1998. PR Kyndiah served as the MP since 1998 till 2009 and after that Vincent Pala has been winning the seat for the Congress since 2009 and is the incumbent MP.