SHILLONG:
Mawlai MDC, in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) Teiborlang Pathaw has resigned from the United Democratic Party (UDP) sources informed on Monday.
Pathaw will join the National People’s Party (NPP), on March 25.
With his resignation, the number of UDP MDCs in the KHADC has gone down to seven which includes the nominated member, Bindo Mathew Lanong.
If the Mawlai MDC joins the NPP the strength of the party in the KHADC will go up to 11 in a House of 30-members.
He is the Executive Member in-charge Building.
It may be mentioned that Pathaw had won as an independent candidate only to join the UDP. There is no anti-defection law in the autonomous district council.
Pathaw will contest the Assembly election in 2023 from Mawlai constituency. Current MLA from Mawlai, P T Sawkmie who was suspended from Congress will contest from UDP.
With the party’s MDCs swelling to 11 in the KHADC, there are indications that NPP will soon try to topple the current Chief Executive Member (CEM) Titosstar Well Chyne of the UDP.
There was a pact between the two parties that the post of CEM will be from the UDP while that of the deputy CEM from NPP.
The current deputy CEM is Lamphrang Blah who last year jumped ship from Congress to the NPP and was the party’s candidate for the Mawphlang by-poll. He however lost the election to UDP’s Eugeneson Lyngdoh.
Recently, too Fantin Joseph Lakadong, Grace Mary Kharpuri and Macdalyn S Mawlong joined the NPP.