NPP set to name Shillong LS candidate May 7; RS pick with high command

By - Admin 05 May, 2026 Comments (0) 2 Mins Read

No norms violated in Rs 1,900Cr PHE tender: Meghalaya Govt SHILLONG, MAY 19: Dismissing allegations that the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department awarded Rs 1,900-crore projects to an outside firm by bypassing norms, Cabinet Minister and MDA government spokesperson Wailadmiki Shylla on Tuesday said all tenders followed established rules and were open to eligible bidders. Responding to charges that the department favoured a non-local firm, Shylla said the tendering process requires bidders to meet specific credentials and experience. “As you all know, for any tendering process, for any allotment, there are certain sets of criteria or credentials. You have to have certain credentials and experience and other things,” he told reporters. He maintained that the government adhered to procedure in all infrastructure projects. “If you see in all of this infrastructure, the government has followed the process. In this process, all the required criteria were fulfilled,” Shylla said. “It is not like we choose whomever we like. There are certain sets of rules, a certain process we follow,” he added. Shylla said the bidding was open to all qualified firms. “If that person is getting the work, what can I say, because we have followed the rules and process. It is open for everyone, whoever wants to come and participate,” he said. “It does not mean that we have created such rules that only that person can come and participate,” he clarified.

SHILLONG, MAY 5: The NPP will announce its candidate for the Shillong Lok Sabha byelection after its general executive meeting scheduled for May 7, with talks now in the “final stage,” Cabinet Minister and NPP state youth president Wailadmiki Shylla said.

“Definitely, we are in the final stage of a talk, so definitely will have a candidate. I urge our friends from the press, please bear with us just one or two days, so definitely you will get the news,” Shylla said on Tuesday.

He confirmed the plan to declare the candidate this week. “Yes, on 7 we are having general executive meeting and that is the plan to announce candidate,” he said.

On the Rajya Sabha seat, Shylla acknowledged that James Sangma’s name was among those being discussed, but stressed that the decision lies with the party leadership.

“Discussion is still on, so no doubt his name has come but I think it’s up to the party high command to sit and finalise on the names,” he said.

According to him, the party is considering multiple contenders. “As of now there are 4-5 names which have come up which I think it’s very soon for me to share. It’s up to the party high command to sit and decide,” Shylla said.

He declined to comment further, noting that no formal meeting on the RS seat had been called yet. “Right now I think I cannot comment on that because we have not called a meeting on that, so I think it will be soon enough before time,” he said.

Addressing regional claims to the lone Rajya Sabha seat, Shylla said such demands were expected. “Different areas will have their different way of thinking. Since there is a single seat of Rajya Sabha in the state, definitely all the regions would want,” he said.

“It won’t be new or surprising. Even from Jaintia Hills also would want that the MP will be from Jaintia or Khasi. That will be there, but it is up to the party high command to decide whom the party sees fit to send to Delhi and raise our issue of the state,” Shylla added.