Shillong, Nov. 13 : Hill State People Democratic Party (HSPDP) on Monday said the pre-poll alliance forged with the United Democratic Party (UDP) is to ensure formation of a regional government in 2018.
“We have not come up with the alliance to strengthen the HSPDP or the UDP but to ensure that a regional government is formed in the state,” HSPDP chief Ardent M Basaiawmoit told reporters here on Monday.
He reiterated that the stand of the HSPDP and also the alliance is to ensure a non-Congress and a non-BJP government while reacting to the recent allegation by the KHNAM that the UDP and HSPDP are also keen in working with BJP, which is in the ruling at the Centre.
“The leaders of the KHNAM should exercise restrain before making such allegation without evidence because the alliance’s objective is to have a non-Congress and non-BJP government in the state,” he said.
With regards to another allegation that the decision of the UDP and HSPDP to set up candidates from North Shillong constituency was just to weakened the KHNAM, Basaiawmoit said, “The decision to have open seats is all for the interest of the alliance.”
He also said that as a party when we have decided to fight the election it is not give chance to others but to ensure that the party wins from the seat.
“However I have nothing much to say on this but we will leave it to the wisdom of the people,” Basaiawmoit said while claiming that the party has witnessed a good response in North Shillong in a meeting held recently in Mawkhar.
However, he said that the HSPDP had also decided not to field candidate from Umroi constituency, which is one of the 9 open seats declared by the alliance, to pave way for the UDP candidate, which has a better chance.
He also claimed that another open seat which is Mylliem constituency have however come to the HSPDP and that the supporters of the UDP are supporting the party’s candidate (Teilinia Thangkhiew, a sitting MDC).
On reports which have suggested that the UDP sitting MLA from Mawkynrew Remington Pyngrope is likely to join the National People’s Party (NPP), Basaiawmoit however said that the party is not aware of the matter since it was only reported in the media.
Asked, he however said the alliance of the two parties will have to sit to decide on the Mawkynrew seat, if at all the sitting MLA decides not to contest from a UDP ticket.
With regards to Mookaiaw constituency (also an open seat) in Jaintia Hills, Basaiawmoit said that the party is yet to decide whether it would set up candidate or not. The Sutnga seat however is reserved for the HSPDP.
Informing that the HSPDP has so far declared as many as 17 candidates, Basaiawmoit however informed that the final list of candidates will be declared on the first week of next month.
Reacting to HS Shylla’s allegation that he is already a losing candidate from Nongkrem constituency, Basaiawmoit said he has no time to waste clarifying on childish’s statement in view of the fact that the Election Commission of India is even yet to declare the election.
Shylla, a sitting MDC from Nongkrem, will be contesting on an NPP ticket against Basaiawmoit, who is three-time MLA of Nongkrem constituency in the upcoming assembly poll.
Expressing full confidence that the people of Nongkrem will again give their wise decision, Basaiawmoit claimed that the support of people is in fact increasing in every election he had contested.
“In the last election, the support of the people increased by 9,000 vote compared to the second which was 5,000 and the first by 1,300,” he said while also recalling that he won the 2014 MDC election by a margin of 2,600 without having to campaign.