Shillong, Nov 12: The Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) will collectively assess who from among the candidates proposed by the partners has better chance of winning in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections to be held next year.

At a meeting of the Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA), an alliance formed by the United Democratic Party (UDP) and Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) held here on Monday, it was decided that regional political parties should work together in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 though the issue related to common candidate is yet to be decided together by partners of the MDA.

Besides the UDP and HSPDP, the meeting was also attended by leaders of the People’s Democratic Front (PDF).

The PDF which has been invited to be part of the RDA, has sought time to discuss the matter in the party.

HSPDP legislator Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar told reporters that the UDP and HSPDP would send their own candidates to the MDA Coordination Committee but both the parties have assured to work together after the selection of common candidate.

The MDA Coordination Committee is likely to meet soon to take a call on the issue of common candidate.

Recently at the meeting of the MDA Coordination Committee, it was decided that all six political parties would propose their own respective candidates so that the MDA can discuss and select one common candidate.  

The UDP has already selected Jemino Mawthoh as its candidate for the Shillong parliamentary seat while the HSPDP is also projecting the candidature of Tongkhar.

On the BJP, Tongkhar said, “the regional parties will no mind if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fields its own candidate as it is its prerogative. However as regional parties, were are committed to work together.

UDP vice president Allantry F Dkhar said the MDA will collectively assess who from among the candidates proposed by the partners has better chance of winning and then decide accordingly.

Dkhar said that that Meghalaya has taught not only the country but the world about coalition politics and defended that the exercise of projecting candidates may affect stability of the MDA government.

“We as MDA, we are setting many precedents and lessons for the rest of the world on how to work in a coalition government,” Dkhar said.

Tongkhar informed that the meeting also discussed how to strengthen the regional forces in which an invitation was also extended to the PDF to join the RDA.

“Though the meeting was a positive one, but to some extend it is inconclusive since the PDF has sought time to discuss the matter before taking a decision on the invitation,” he said.

The regional political parties have also decided to have post poll alliance in the elections to the district councils be held next year.

“Though we may not have any pre-poll alliance, but we feel that we need to have a post poll alliance after the elections to the autonomous district councils of Khasi and Jaiñtia,” Tongkhar informed.