Staff Reporter
SHILLONG:
Senior United Democratic Party (UDP) leader Bindo Mathew Lanong has expressed his concern over the fact that businessmen are contesting elections.
“The same thing is happening in the UDP. I don’t know what is the future of the UDP,” Lanong said.
He said former chief minister late Brington Buhai Lyngdoh, late Hopingstone Lyngdoh and late Professor GG Swell were leaders with caliber.
The senior UDFP leader recounted the words of Brington Buhai Lyngdoh who told his Khasi businessmen friends to discuss their business and the government will support them to fight the big merchants.
“He said you businessmen do not join politics. Do your own job…don’t interfere in politics I would not allow,” Lanong quoted Lyngdoh.
The senior UDP leader said that now it is the opposite with many businessmen joining politics even as he asked where will the state head.
Asked to comment on the claim of the party that it will lead the government in 2023, the senior party leader said that before elections everybody would claim so even as he hinted that denying him a ticket would affect the party.
He also said that if the leadership of the party removes a spotless leader how will the UDP claim that it will fight corruption.
Lanong also said that many aspiring candidates who are educated, well very in administration who want to contest the 2023 polls are backing out maybe because they are fed up with the system.
“They are people who are knowledgeable. Maybe they have seen there is no place for them in a group where everyone is thinking for their self interest. These are dangerous signs,” he said.
The senior UDP leader said that the present leadership in the party is weak even as he recounted an incident of 2008.
Lanong claimed that in 2008 the present general secretary of the party Jemino Mawthoh met late Donkupar Roy and urged him to deny the senior UDP leader party ticket from Nongthymmai constituency in favour of Mawthoh.
“Dr Donkupar Roy replied I would rather lose one seat than give up bah Bindo. That was his reply. He was a farsighted leader,” the senior UDP leader said.
Lanong won the 2008 polls from Nongthymmai defeating Mawthoh who contested from the Nationalist Congress Party.
He went on to become the Speaker and the Deputy Chief Minister during that term.