Shillong,Jan 9: The UDP has released the names of John Leslee Sangma (South Tura) and Dr Pilne Sangma ( North Tura).
UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh released the names of the two candidates.
Dr Pilne, who had unsuccessfully contested the GHADC elections, is the lone woman candidate of the UDP.
Altogether, 34 candidates have so far been declared by the party.
After felicitating the two candidates, party president Metbah Lyngdoh informed that the party will soon release the third list of candidates and said, “The list will also include five sitting legislators of this present House and candidates from other constituencies.”
The UDP chief said the people of the state are looking up to the UDP as the biggest regional party in the state to address the issues and concerns and matters related to the welfare of the state and its people.
“And this time we are committed that we will try our level best to deliver those expectations of the people of the state when we are given the mandate in this upcoming election,” he said.
Lyngdoh said his party is working very hard to reach out to every nook and corner of the state to create awareness among the electorate to ensure “they make no mistakes and be with the UDP in this upcoming election.”
He said the UDP is trying to fill up candidates from all 60 seats. “We will take a call on the matter after doing the ground assessment on each and every candidate.”
Lyngdoh also expressed surprise at the decision of the National People’s Party (NPP) not to field a candidate against him from Mairang constituency.
“I don’t know but I was surprised to see they (NPP) openly announced that they are not going to put up a candidate from there. I don’t know what the reason is. The best thing is for you to ask them,” he said while responding to a query if there is any understanding between the UDP and NPP.
Maintaining that the UDP is fighting the 2023 polls on its own, Lyngdoh also expressed confidence that the party will cross the half-way mark and lead the new government in the state.
“UDP is not allying with any political parties till now which means that we are fighting and we will get more than 30 seats,” he said.
Whether the party is ready to work with the opposition All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) post elections, Lyngdoh replied by saying, “the choice will come only when the time comes.”
The UDP chief said if people are not happy with the NPP-led MDA government, they should consider giving more MLAs to the UDP.
“Give us more MLAs, we will deliver much better,” he said.
While claiming that UDP members are mere MLAs in the MDA coalition government, Lyngdoh said, “If people are not happy then this is the time for people to decide. This is the platform for them to decide. That is why we are saying that we are going to every nook and corner…because in this coalition government we are just mere MLAs only. If they say that they are not happy under the leadership of the NPP, the UDP is here so you give us the mandate.”
He said that the UDP has always voiced the concerns of the people on issues against the government or against any department. “We never hide anything which we feel that is necessary for us to speak on behalf of the people of the state,” he said.
The UDP chief feigned ignorance on a complaint filed by the party’s vice president against the ministers and MLAs of the NPP for misusing the FOCUS and FOCUS+ schemes of the government.
“I don’t know as far as that matter is concerned,” he responded when asked for his comment.
He however said it is wrong if the NPP wants to play as a political party in the government events or programmes.
“As we fought elections, everybody is trying to do this but I don’t see that is going to benefit anyone as at the end of the day people will decide. If this kind of benefits coming before the elections means people should understand and realize that this is not at all the real kind of schemes that people are supposed to receive so people should be wise enough to see and look into all these aspects,” he said.
If MLAs of the party are benefiting from such schemes, Lyngdoh said that this (FOCUS) scheme is done by the office of the Basin through their respective offices in each and every block.
He said as far as his knowledge is concerned, the scheme is being identified by the volunteers. “However, I want to say something here that there should not be any kind of duplicacy of beneficiaries. All should get the benefits. Sometimes the same beneficiary will get scheme from the MLA, will get scheme from other central schemes like the state’s flagship programme so that has to be looked into,” he said.
