Disqualify Adviser: Lyngdoh

SHILLONG, JAN 15: Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) president Hopingstone Lyngdoh has asked Meghalaya speaker Charles Pyngrope to disqualify sitting legislator Dr. Adviser Pariong- who has join the Congress without resigning from the assembly and, thereby, attracted the anti-defection act.

Pariong was elected on the HSPDP ticket in the 2008 Meghalaya assembly election. However, now he is contesting as a Congress candidate as he has joined the national party but without tendering his resignation from the HSPDP.

Lyngdoh said that the HSPDP came to know about Pariong candidature as the Congress candidate for the upcoming assembly election only through newspapers report.  An agitated  Lyngdoh thundered, “Pariong should be disqualify on ground of defection.”

Lyngdoh, however, said that Pariong’s resignation letter from the primary membership of the HSPDP was received only on January 10.

Quoting the anti-defection act Lyngdoh said that as Adviser Pariong had attracted this provision he must be immediately disqualify as a legislator. And Pariong, he said, will forfeit all the privileges due to a legislator who completes five year term if he is disqualified now as the term of the present assembly is up to March 10.-By Our Reporter