‘PBM is Mukul’s candidate’

SHILLONG, MAY 19: Post Lok Sabha election results the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) alleged that Shillong Lok Sabha Independent candidate PBM Basaiawmoit is an “unofficial-candidate” of the Mukul-faction of the Congress.

UDP working president and its Shillong Lok Sabha candidate Paul Lyngdoh said on Monday, “The results have proved our point that Basaiawmoit is the unofficial-candidate of the Mukul led faction group of the Congress.”.

Basaiawmoit and Lyngdoh who came in the second and third place respectively were outdone by the Congress sitting MP Vincent Pala who won by a margin of over 30, 500 votes in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections from Shillong Parliamentary seat.

Lyngdoh’ statement came after the allegations made by Basaiawmoit that he lost the elections due to the division among the regional parties in the state.

Lyngdoh said, the votes of 1.60 lakh polled by Basaiawmoit clearly came from the anti – Pala Congress legislators compared to the amount of votes from the regional parties – Hill State People Democratic Party (HSPDP) and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) who were front supporters of Basaiawmoit.

Lyngdoh told reporters,“Had it not been the acknowledged support of the Congress, PBM would have not secured the second position.”

Pointing out that at different Congress represented assembly constituencies, like in Nartiang represented by Congress PWD minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, Basaiawmoit got maximum of votes (7596) than the party’s own candidate Vincent Pala (5666 votes) which itself is a clear prove that it was the support of Congress MLA Lyngdoh said adding similarly in other constituencies like Amlarem, Saipung, Basaiawmoit got the maximum votes.

According to Lyngdoh, Basaiawmoit was able to garner 1.60 lakh votes because of the support of the Congress and not the HSPDP and KHNAM which does not have its base inthese constituencies.

Similarly in Ri Bhoi district, Basaiawmoit got maximum votes (9826) from Jirang constituency and 5640 votes from Umroi constituency in which  both the HSPDP and KHNAM does not have any presence, Lyngdoh informed

Lyngdoh, however, said in constituencies like Nongpoh, Jowai, Sohiong and others where the Congress legislators worked for their party’s candidate, Pala secured maximum votes while the UDP came second.

“Therefore, to say that Basaiawmoit have lost due to the division in the regional parties is not true because when his votes have come mostly from the anti-Pala congress group,” Lyngdoh stated adding “We are not really interested in the blame game but we have to set the record straight.”

Lyngdoh said going by the results, UDP was right when it had said that choosing an Independent candidate to represent the state at the national level itself is a very wrong exercise because the rest of India has learn to accept party politics.

“We failed to support the consensus candidate after it was understood that Basaiawmoit is backed up financially and electorally by Congress,” Lyngdoh alleged.

Lyngdoh also said had the UDP agreed to have Basaiawmoit as a consensus candidate as proposed by HSPDP and KHNAM, he would have diluted the regional cause and regional platform.

Coming to the UDP’s performance, Lyngdoh who managed to garner over a lakh votes said this is a clear indication of the party’s acceptability among the electorates despite many constraints and it shows that the party is growing from strength to strength.

The UDP also admitted that the impact of Narendra Modi’s waves in some of the constituencies in Shillong including that of Lyngdoh’s.

Lyngdoh said the BJP candidate Shibun Lyngdoh had managed to secured an impressive number of votes in Shillong and felt definitely there is a Modi’s waves in certain parts of Meghalaya.

Lyngdoh also opined that the BJP is a threat to the Congress in the state and the monopoly of the Congress is now over.- By Our Reporter