Shillong, Oct 29: A meeting of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) Coordination Committee has not been able to decide on the issue of setting up of common candidate in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Though a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma was held on Monday, however all partners failed to arrive at the consensus.

The meeting decided that each partner of the MDA should first sit and discuss within the party and decide on the issue.

The inability of the MDA Coordination Committee to take a call is also likely to affect the plan of the United Democratic Party (UDP) to project its candidate as the “common candidate” of the MDA especially from Shillong Lok Sabha constituency.

The UDP has projected its candidate to be the common candidate without discussing the issue among the MDA partners.

Without discussing in the MDA Coordination Committee, the UDP had earlier projected that its candidate from Shillong Lok Sabha seat should be accepted as the common candidate of the MDA. The UDP had even stated that a candidate of the NPP should be considred the “common candidate” of the MDA from Tura Lok Sabha seat.

The UDP has received applications from two former legislators, Paul Lyngdoh and Jemino Mawthoh who are vying for party ticket for next’s year Lok Sabha polls from Shillong Parliamentary seat. The UDP has decided to declare its candidate on October 31.

The MDA government was formed by six political parties which comprised of the the National People’s Party (NPP), UDP, People’s Democratic Front (PDF), Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP), BJP, NCP and Independents.

The Chief Minister said that all political parties were heard during the meeting and it was decided that the issue be first discussed and take a decision by the respective political party and come back to the MDA Coordination Committee.