Shillong Oct 31: Hill State People Democratic Party (HSPDP) chief, Ardent M Basaiawmoit hoped that pre-poll alliance with the United Democratic Party (UDP) may pave for “unification” of the two regional political parties in future.
“If this alliance can bring about a mutual understanding, there is possibility for unification of two parties in future,” Basaiawmoit said while addressing the general council meeting of the party at Dinam Hall, Jaiaw here on Tuesday.
He maintained that the main objective of the UDP-HSPDP alliance was to form a non-Congress government in 2018.
The UDP and HSPDP will together fight the upcoming state assembly elections from 36 seats in Khasi – Jaintia Hills region. The UDP had also forged pre-poll alliance with the Garo National Council (GNC) for contesting the 24 Assembly seats in Garo Hills.
Later after the meeting, Basaiawmoit told reporters that if the alliance helped the two parties to have a common voice, time may come that both the parties would unite and would not need to forge such alliance during elections.
Dispelling the misconception about the “friendly-match” between the two parties in few constituencies despite having an alliance, the HSPDP chief cited an example of a football match where both the parties will be in the same team.
“The focus of the two parties even if they are contesting together from the same constituency will be to score goal. There will be no rough playing but players of both teams will focus only on the ball and score goal,” he said.
Basaiawmoit further said that the HSPDP has gained strength in some of these constituencies and by not putting up candidates in such constituencies; people may lose faith in the party.
He also made it clear that the alliance was an understanding and not unification of the two parties at present.
The HSPDP leader also said that the party would fight against the influence of money power by making people understand that good governance is more important and they should elect the right people.
“Most of the people are trying to make people believe that by using money power all their problems will be resolved but the HSPDP will go and win by making people aware about the ill effects of money,” he said.
He also stated that HSPDP has been able to put up candidates who are educationally qualified, and urged party workers and supporters to work hard to ensure that all the candidates of the party wins in the upcoming elections.
“I have full confident that the party will win many seats,” he said while also announced that the list of candidates declared earlier by the party are final.