SHILLONG, JAN 20: Being denied ticket, chief adviser of the United Democratic Party (UDP) Bindo M Lanong on Friday announced his decision to contest as an independent candidate from Nongkrem constituency in the forthcoming assembly elections, slated to be held on February 27.
His decision came after the party had recently declared the sitting legislator of Nongkrem Lambor Malngiang as its official candidate.
Lanong has held the party’s president Metbah Lyngdoh, general secretary Jemino Mawthoh and another leader responsible behind what he termed as “ticket allotment scam”.
The veteran leader, who claimed to have now led the UDP-O or the original UDP, however maintained that he has no intention to break the UDP but instead will return to the parent organization after the 2023 polls.
“Exactly I will contest as an independent candidate. I am here because they placed me outside… I am not inside any longer so from whichever position I am, I am contesting (the coming elections),” Lanong told reporters.
He said that UDP’s decision to allot the party ticket to Malngiang has come not as a surprise to him and cited that “there are many reasons and factors that the ticket went in favour of a person who was never in the UDP. He (Malngiang) was with the KHNAM, with the Congress and now he is an MLA of the independent group but he was never with the UDP.”
Lanong said that UDP did not have any candidate from Nongkrem in 2018 and due to his reason he has decided to contest from Nongkrem constituency. However, the party claimed that the majority of the people in Nongkrem constituency are in favour of Malngiang for allotment of party ticket.
“My team had gone to meet the party leaders – including president and general secretary – they didn’t even have time to talk properly as if they were in a great hurry, they didn’t even bother to listen to the explanation, reports of the committee – which was in my favour,” he added.
Lanong also claimed to have a very good chance to win the Nongkrem seat and said, “I have involved myself and I have gone deep to the interior, met the people in the grassroot, I have a good support everywhere.”
The former deputy chief minister said he later found out that the claim made by the party was all made up as they have never conducted or collected any information in a manner that it will be fair while adding “the result will prove them wrong and people will not forgive them anymore”.
Lanong further warned that the political career of two-three leaders of the UDP, who are opposing his candidature, is finished as “they have no chance of winning the elections”.
“Two or three leaders who are involved in this allotment of ticket scam, they are already finished. People will give them the right treatment that such people deserve, they will see that,” he said adding “(This) is nothing but a leadership issue. They are my juniors. All of them are my juniors. When UDP was formed in 1997, they were not there. They were not even in politics. I brought Jemino Mawthoh in 2013 and he won from Nongthymmai. Metbah Lyngdoh joined the UDP in 2008. Where were they when UDP was formed in 1997? Paul Lyngdoh came in 2009. I was there when he joined the UDP. Therefore, as I told you, two-three leaders are already finished.”
Stating that he will not break the UDP because he will go back to the party after the elections, Lanong said, “I don’t intend to break the party. UDP is my baby. I was there when UDP was born. I was there even before UDP was created, I was with Hill People Union (HPU), I won also from APHLC – the original political party…party has taken two or three changes in course of time, I remain still from day one till now in the UDP.”
He continued: “I am not going to tell anyone to resign or to come out of the UDP because I am going back to the UDP because I have so many leaders in the party who feel for me, who sympathize but they cannot speak out. They are shocked also but they cannot speak out. So immediately after the election, I will consider amalgamation of my UDP-Original which is just a branch of the UDP – I will go back to the parent body. And it will be easier for me at that time after two-three leaders who opposed me are out.”
The veteran leader further ruled out any possibility of floating a new political party and said, “I have no intention to create another political party. UDP is my baby. I am going back to the UDP immediately after the election is over.”
Recalling the words of former chief minister (L) BB Lyngdoh, Lanong said that he was right when he told us that business people should not be encouraged to join politics.
“They (business people) should not be encouraged to come to politics, let them concentrate in business, our government will support them – this was the philosophy of BB Lyngdoh.”
He said some businessmen in the UDP not only denied him the ticket but they are spoiling the party.
“(Therefore), I will be by the side of the UDP, if not at the doorstep, I will be at the gate. That is why I will name my new offshoot, the branch of the UDP as UDP-O and that is ‘original’ and it will be dissolved or I will get back to the parent body after the elections,” he added.
When asked if contesting against the official candidate of the party is not anti-party activity, Lanong however said, “I don’t think so because it is not my wish to leave…where is my anti-party conduct?”
“I am deserving, I am an original party man, I am a person who was there when HPU was formed in 1994, I am a man who was there in 1997 when UDP was formed – so therefore, I am not leaving and I will not leave but I am denied. I am completely at a loss, I did not expect leaders to behave like this, leaders who came after me and I respect them but what to do,” he stated.
Lanong said he had contested from East Shillong constituency based on the party’s recommendation. “However, this constituency East Shillong doesn’t favour me and that is why I lost badly in the last election,” he added.
By Our Reporter
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