NPP confident to win two seats

SHILLONG, JULY 11: The ruling National People’s Party (NPP) leading the six party Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government today expressed confidence to win from South Tura and Ranikor in the upcoming bye-elections to the two seats.

“We are always confident of getting seat back in South Tura and we will win the Ranikor seat too,” NPP leader and deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong told reporters here on Wednesday.

NPP national president and chief minister Conrad K Sangma is all set to contest from South Tura after his sister Agatha K Sangma resigned as member of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly recently. Conrad is required to get elected to continue as chief minister.

The NPP national president, who is also Tura MP, was sworn in as the chief minister of the state on March 6.

Earlier, Conrad had also appealed to coalition partners of the MDA to extend their support in the upcoming South Tura by-poll.

On the other hand, the NPP is also fielding former senior Congress leader Martin M Danggo for the Ranikor seat.

Danggo, who was five-time legislator of Ranikor, decided to resign as member of Assembly after the state government decided to upgrade Ranikor Administrative Unit into a full fledged civil sub-division, which was also inaugurated on Tuesday.

However the former Ranikor MLA is yet to join the NPP to which the Tynsong informed that the party would soon formally welcome the leader into its fold.

Asked, the deputy chief minister said though all political parties are expected to fight very effectively but the NPP is also fully prepared and is ready to face the two bye-elections.

“We are ever ready anytime that the Election Commission of India announces the dates for the two seats,” he said.

However, he categorically denied that the bye-elections will have any political strain on the MDA as any political party are free to contest elections. Tynsong also made it clear that the only agreement between the coalition partners was to ensure that the MDA will perform and last till the end of the term.

By Our Reporter