SHILLONG:
United Democratic Party (UDP) president, Metbah Lyngdoh, has informed that the process of preparing the manifesto for the 2023 Assembly polls is underway.
“We have also asked for suggestions from certain UDP leaders and even others who are not from the party,” Lyngdoh said.
According to the UDP president these suggestions will be incorporated in the manifesto.
He said that the manifestos committee will decide on what to be incorporated even as he added that he feels only such issues should be included which are feasible.
Lyngdoh also said that the main objective of the UDP to seek suggestions from the public is to ensure that the party listens to the voice of the voters.
“If we prepare a manifesto on our own it may be incomplete. Therefore, if we listen to everyone’s opinion it will help in covering the aspirations of the people which the present government couldn’t in the five years,” Lyngdoh said.
The UDP chief also said that the manifesto will also include an appeal for the voters to allow the party to lead the next government.
Meanwhile, on the issue of infighting in the UDP especially in Nongkrem where the sitting legislator Lambor Malngiang is being preferred to the senior party leader Bindo M. Lanong, Lyngdoh and also in Mawphlang where the sitting MLA Eugeneson Lyngdoh has decided not to seek re-election, he said that in relation to the latter there is no bickering among party leaders.
“But for Nongkrem I will not deny, there is an issue wherein a senior leader of the party wants to contest from there. But I won’t call this as infighting, but it is just the opinion of a senior leader of the party who wants to contest from this constituency,” Lyngdoh said.
The UDP chief said that Lanong had even gone public with his grievances against the party leaders and upon those charges the party’s state election committee will sit and discuss not only for Nongkrem but constituencies too.