Lok Sabha Election-Meghalaya: 4 candidates file nomination for Shillong parliamentary seat

With battlelines drawn for the Lok Sabha election, the race for winning the presitigious Shillong parliamentary seat has gained further momentum as at least 4 candidates filed their nominations today.

Congress candidate and incumbent Shillong MP Vincent Pala sounded quite confident about his victory in the elections but insisted that the voters are supreme.

Pala said, “It is not your hard corner or soft corner to win elections, it’s about how people trust you. My big point is that I take politics as politics and friendship as friendship while individual or personal relation is something different. As a small state, as a small community we should share, we should work together for the benefit of the people, not for my personal benefit.”

Asked about his view on BJP’s decision to extend support to the NPP in Shillong and Tura and whether it will impact the prospects of the Congress in the ensuing election, Pala said, “You see BJP is BJP, NPP is NPP. Today people know, they (NPP, BJP) have been exposed, that every vote to the NPP is a vote to the BJP. Every decision taken by the BJP is a decision taken by NPP, so there is no difference between NPP and BJP. But one very important thing is that the BJP’s ideology, the BJP’s leadership might have agreed to join hands with the NPP, but the workers have been deserted. The people of Meghalaya who have trusted the BJP, they have been betrayed. So I think most of the voters of the BJP will not go to the NPP. So voters many of them will come to me, I request all of them to come to me. I welcome each and every voter to come to me from all the parties.”

RDA candidate Robertjune Kharjahrin said the UDP and HSPDP combine will secure the maximum vote share as he expressed confidence of the winning the elections. Stating that VPP will not spoil their chance, Kharjahrin said it a new party with no grassroot workers. The RDA candidate highlighted that ILP, inclusion of Khasi language to the 8th schedule, settle boundary issue with Assam will be some of the key that he will raise in the Parliament if elected as an MP.

Kharjahrin also said, “It is upto the people to judge on that (victoy in election). Every party has their own tactic, we know what is NPP and what is BJP, so people are wise enough to see. Let people decide.”
We hope that the public will elect the next MP based on the issues and their manifesto and we have a good manifesto, we have a commitment to fulfil this manifesto. So we are very much confident that we will win this election.”

VPP candidate Ricky AJ Syngkon said after filing his nomination said, “We are fully prepared and as you are aware that we are the first party to start this journey (announcement of candidate) for this Lok Sabha election. People have given their full faith and confidence in the leadership of the party (VPP).”

Asked if BJP’s decision to support the NPP will be of benefit for the VPP, Syngkon said, “That is their decision. I am sure the people are now seeing the true colours of what is NPP, what is BJP, so we leave it to the wisdom of the electorates to take the decision. We have electorates who are well aware of the situation.”

NPP candidate Ampareen Lyngdoh and an independent candidate, Peter Shallam, have filed their nominations on Friday from the Shillong parliamentary seat. The voting for the Lok Sabha election for the two parliamentary seats in Meghalaya is scheduled for April 19th.

Apart from that Independent candidate Lakhon Kma also filed his nomination today.