Shillong, Oct 24: The decision of the United Democratic Party (UDP) to ask other MDA partners to support its candidate as the ‘common candidate’ for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from Shillong is not going down well with the coalition partners.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, PDF leader and Urban Affairs Minister, Hamletson Dohling sought to know the meaning of ‘common candidate’ from the UDP.

Even the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) which is part of the Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA) with the United Democratic Party (UDP), said that the UDP has proposed to have the common candidate only through the media.

Dohling said that in his understanding, if there should be a common candidate put up by the MDA, the matter should be thoroughly discussed by the Coordination Committee of the MDA.

“As of now the UDP is forcing others to support its candidate as the common candidate of the MDA. The UDP should not have used the word ‘common candidate’ and instead it should ask other parties through the media to support its candidate.

“How can it be that the candidate of the UDP be called the common candidate, when there was no discussion in among the MDA partners? If at all a common candidate is to be fielded, some names have to be proposed in the meeting of the MDA Coordination Committee and then decide together,” Dohling said.

Asked if the PDF also has plans to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Shillong, Dohling that the PDF should be not be underestimated especially when the votes share of the party in the Assembly elections were to be taken into consideration.

“The PDF got around 1.3 lakh votes, but you have to understand your own strength and capacity. As a partner, the PDF has got the right to air its views and opinions in the MDA Coordination Committee,” Dohling said.

The UDP has already decided to select from among the two former MLAs, either Paul Lyngdoh or Jemino Mawthoh as its candidate for the Lok Sabha polls from Shillong who should be also accepted by the NPP and other MDA partners as the common candidate of the MDA.

The UDP will announce its candidate on October 31.

Meanwhile the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) said that it was yet to discuss the issue of fielding a common candidate for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Shillong.

HSPDP leader and PHE minister, Samlin Malngiang said that the UDP’s proposal for setting up of common candidate was seen only through media reports.

“As an RDA we are yet to discuss this matter,” he said.

Malngiang also said that some individuals have approached the HSPDP for party ticket to contest the MP elections.

“However, as of now, our focus is more on the elections to the district councils,” he said.