SHILLONG, SEPT 7: Opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) today hinted that it is ready to have a post-poll alliance with the BJP, a ruling party at the Centre, to form the next government in 2018.
“How can we be inimical to the BJP as it is important and good to have link with the powers that be,” UDP senior working president Bindo M Lanong told reporters after the party’s state election committee (SEC) announced the first list of 28 candidates here on Thursday.
Lanong, a former deputy chief minister in the MUA-I state government, said that the party was supporting the ruling Congress in 2008 because the latter was also at helm of affairs in New Delhi.
Being a member of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), he however said that the UDP is yet to have any political alignment with the BJP since NEDA is only a platform to find out solutions to the different developmental issues concerning the North East region.
On the other hand, the UDP also expressed confidence that the pre-poll alliance between the regional political parties will end the years of misrule by the ruling Congress.
“Our main focus as of now is on the pre-poll alliances to ensure we get majority of seats. We are fighting against the Congress as we want it to go (in 2018) because all the misrule of the Congress has to stop,” party’s chief Donkupar Roy said.
The UDP has combined force with the Hill State People Democratic Party (HSPDP) to contest from 36 assembly seats in Khasi-Jaintia Hills region and with the Garo National Council (GNC) from 24 seats in Garo Hills region.
Denying the allegations that the pre-poll alliance is the brain child of chief minister Mukul Sangma to ensure the BJP does not make in roads in Meghalaya, Roy said, “It is very wrong as do you think that Mukul would want that all Congress legislators be defeated.”
Expressing his view in the same line on the matter, Lanong said, “If the person is the brain child, he has to first be on top but by him (Mukul) not being anywhere in the alliance how can that be.”
Both the UDP leaders however claimed that the pre-poll alliance is welcomed by the people of the state as unity of regional political parties has been their long pending aspiration.
They also denied that there has been dissatisfaction from the party leaders over the seat arrangement especially in Khasi Hills region.
The outcome of this was recently witnessed with the resignation of UDP youth leader Hamlet Dohling after the party decided to support HSPDP candidate from Mylliem, a constituency represented by cabinet minister Ronnie V Lyngdoh.
“Though nothing can have full satisfaction but we have the support of majority of the people. Most of the women especially have expressed that this attempt to have an alliance is a wise decision,” Lanong said.
He recalled that in 1984, the alliance between the APHLC and HSPDP from 29 seats, two were open seats in which APHLC won from Mawkyrwat and HSPDP from Langrin.
“This is nothing new and the alliance between the UDP-HSPDP and UDP-GNC is welcomed by majority of the people,” he added.
Roy however said that the Coordination Committee of UDP-HSPDP
Asked whether there will be a common election manifesto among the regional political parties, the UDP president said that there will be common agendas between the three parties – UDP, HSPDP and GNC.
To another query, Roy however said that they have not projected chief ministerial candidate because as per convention, the decision will depend on the elected candidates as to who will be the leader.
By Our Reporter
+ There are no comments
Add yours