Shillong Aug 30: United Democratic Party president, Dr Donkupar Roy on Thursday said that the MDA will become stronger after his party victory in Ranikor constituency and ruled out that there is a move to demand for more cabinet berth.

Dr Donkupar who is the Assembly Speaker said that there was also no discussion in the UDP to work with the Congress and form the government like in Karnataka.

“There is no talk like that in the UDP. What we discuss is that, the MDA will be stronger than before, and the MDA will continue till the end of the term even four or five year plus may be. I do not see any change in the current set up,” he said.

He also said that the talk that the UDP will demand more cabinet berth was only hearsay or the opinion of one or two people but not the party’s opinion.

Asked if the UDP would bargain more especially when its MLA from Ranikor has become the giant killer who defeated five-time MLA, Martin M. Danggo, Dr Donkupar said, “we do not bargain anything. But what we need is, to work as a team and this is more important, and we share everything right from development.”

NPP legislator and Transport Minister, Sniawbhalang Dhar said, “we are happy that our coalition partner won from Ranikor. It is a plus point to our MDA. We have the same mind just like what the Speaker has expressed.

On Danggo losing in Ranikor, Dhar said, “as a person he may have the feeling. Our partners have set up their respective candidate but it does not mean that it will affect the alliance. One only thing we are happy as MDA because the Congress has been minus and we are happy as MDA partners.”

The UDP president also denied that Marweiñ had won with the help of the Congress.

“I have analysed the voting pattern in Ranikor. Danggo retained 90 per cent of the original votes, but our candidate (Marweiñ) could get more than 4,000 votes from the last elections in February. Who are these 4,000-plus voters? Maximum are NPP supporters in the last election, BJP and People’s Democratic Front supporters too. I do not know how many Congress supporters voted for us, maybe a small number. We do not have mutual understanding with the Congress and it is only speculation,” Dr Donkupar Roy said.

He also wondered how the Congress could possibly support the UDP candidate when they had their own candidate in Ranikor (Jackiush Marak).

Meanwhile United Democratic Party wanted to field a common candidate for the Lok Sabha election in 2019.

“We have not discussed this with our leading partner (NPP) in the (ruling) Meghalaya Democratic Alliance but we would like to have common candidates,” UDP president Donkupar Roy said on Thursday.

On the elections to the two autonomous district councils next year, the UDP chief said there was a feeling that the party should fight the election on its own.

On the need to amend the Sixth Schedule, in order to incorporate the spirit of Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law), Dr Donkupar said that elected members of district councils did not maintain loyalty.

The Speaker observed that many MDCs left and joined another party after a few months in District Councils.

“We are concerned about this problem. We need responsible and disciplined persons to become MDCs. All parties and the state government have expressed their opinion on anti-defection law to the Centre. We want the law for MDCs too,” he said.