SHILLONG, JUN 26: With the Shillong Lok Sabha byelection expected around October or November, VPP legislator from Mawlai Brightstarwell Marbaniang on Friday said the party is awaiting a Meghalaya High Court order on the No Objection Certificate for its candidate Batskhem Myrboh, but cannot afford to “sit idle” in the meantime.Myrboh, who teaches at North Eastern Hill University, is yet to receive an NOC from the university to contest the polls. The matter is currently before the Meghalaya High Court.“In fact, you are aware that the matter is with the Meghalaya High Court and I think now it is up to the Meghalaya High Court,” Marbaniang told reporters. “In a day or two, the Meghalaya High Court will issue an order and accordingly whoever has to abide by that order they have to.”Citing UGC norms, Marbaniang argued that there should be no bar on issuing the NOC. “I see no reason that in fact if you go by the UGC regulation, if you have completed one year service, if there is anything from the management they will inform the person concerned, if there is anything adverse but then if there is nothing automatically it has been confirmed and once confirmed NEHU just need to give NOC,” he said.Asked about the delay from NEHU, he said, “That is for them, we don’t know but for us election is maybe by October or November, so we cannot just sit, we have to fight.”
The Shillong parliamentary seat fell vacant earlier this year, necessitating a byelection.
The VPP had announced Batskhem Myrboh as its candidate.
By Our Reporter
