SHILLONG:
Three MLAs from two political parties resigned from the assembly on January 5 evening.
The three MLAs included Cabinet minister Hamletson Dohling and Jason Sawkmie Mawlong, both from the People’s Democratic Front (PDF), and Samlin Malngiang from the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP).
According to reports, the three legislators will join the National People’s Party (NPP).
The three legislators submitted the resignation letters to Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh.
Before that the three resigned from their respective political parties.
Speaking to reporters, they informed that they decided to quit their respective parties and join the NPP since it was the wish of their constituents.
Dohling, who served as the Community and Rural Development Minister in the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government, said that a core committee in Mylliem constituency suggested that he leave the PDF and contest from NPP.
Mawlong said that even his supporters urged him to turn towards the NPP in the 2023 elections.
“So that we get a strong and stable government for the benefit of the people of the state,” the PDF legislator from Umsning said.
Meanwhile, HSPDP MLA from Sohiong, Malngiang, said that in Meghalaya mostly there are coalition governments.
“But now we want to strengthen one party so that we get a majority which will lead the government which can give benefits to the people of the state,” the Sohiong MLA said.
Malngiang said that the three chose the NPP since the party has leaders from all the regions of the state – Khasi, Garo and Jaintia hills and it will get absolute majority after the 2023 assembly polls.
Asked if the reason for quitting the HSPDP was because he was asked to resign mid-term from the cabinet to accommodate another party colleague Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar, Malngiang said that this was not the case since there was an understanding beforehand.
The Sohiong MLA also said that anti-incumbency will not affect the three legislators since in Meghalaya people vote for the individual and not the party.
On allegations made by a PDF legislator and cabinet minister Banteidor Lyngdoh that he was offered Rs 5 crore to join the NPP, Dohling said that he joined the party after getting assurance that uranium should not be mined, inner line permit should be implemented, inclusion of Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule and border issue with Assam should be resolved.
Secondly, the Mylliem legislator wants more schemes for the development of his constituency.
“But on the matter of Rs 5 crore being offered to legislators joining NPP you have to ask those who made the allegations,” Dohling said.
It may be mentioned that the PDF won four seats in the 2018 elections.
With the resignation of Dohling and Mawlong from the party it is now left with Banteidor Lyngdoh (Mawkynrew) and Gavin Miguel Mylliem (Sohra).
Moreover, the HSPDP with two legislators in 2018 will soon have no MLAs going into the 2023 polls since another colleague Tomgkhar will be resigning to join the United Democratic Party.
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