SHILLONG:
The National People’s Party (NPP) is all set to welcome three more politicians into its fold today.
The party, in a statement released on February 21, revealed the names of the new joiners – former MLA Martin M Danggo, Umsning member of District Council (MDC) Macdalyne Sawkmie Mawlong and former Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) MDC, Manstudy Nongrem.
The trio will be welcomed into the NPP in a function to be held at the party office in Lower Lachaumiere in the presence of the party’s national president and chief minister Conrad Sangma, deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong and state unit president and Rajya Sabha member, WR Kharlukhi, the statement further added.
It may be mentioned that Danggo, who had won the 2018 assembly polls on a Congress ticket, quit the party a few months later to contest from the NPP. It was Danggo’s fifth victory from the Ranikor constituency.
The same year he was defeated by Pius Marwein of the United Democratic Party (UDP) in the bye-poll. However, a few months later, he quit the NPP citing neglect by the party leadership as the reason.
Meanwhile, KHADC MDC from Umsning, Mawlong had won the 2019 KHADC polls on a People’s Democratic Party (PDF) ticket but now, with a year left for the assembly election, is joining the NPP. She is the elder sister of Umsning legislator from the PDF, Jason Sawkmie Mawlong.
Former Chief Executive Member of the KHADC from 2009 -10, Manstudy Nongrem, while still an MDC, later shifted allegiance to the Hill State People’s Democratic Party and didn’t contest the 2019 district council elections. He too will be joining the NPP tomorrow.