SHILLONG:
The United Democratic Party’s culture has always been to respect senior leaders and the party will never backstab anybody, said general secretary Jemino Mawthoh while asserting that former deputy chief minister Bindo M Lanong has not been sidelined.
His statement comes in the wake of Lanong accusing the party of denying ticket to him for contesting from Nongkrem constituency in the 2023 Assembly elections.
Lanong had also hinted that he might be forced to float a political party if the UDP continued to sideline him.
When sought for his comment, Mawthoh said that the UDP has the utmost respect for Lanong.
“We have the utmost respect for this man because we have that culture in the UDP where we respect senior members of the party – whether they retire or are still active,” he said.
He reiterated that as far as selection and identification of candidates is concerned, due procedure has to be followed.
According to him, the UDP circles will recommend the names of candidates and the same will be sent to the district level and finally to the state election committee (SEC) for its final approval.
Mawthoh, however, said that the SEC is yet to decide the ticket for Nongkrem and other constituencies.
“The SEC will soon deliberate on the applications that are being recommended by the circles and districts and take a final decision. Therefore, we leave it to the wisdom of the party leaders to decide,” he added. He informed that the presidents and secretaries from the different districts are also members of the SEC which is headed by the party president.
He said that the party is not only looking at the winnability factor but also into the other criteria that include experience in the field of public life, contribution in the constituency, leadership quality and commitment to serve.
Whether Lanong has applied for party ticket, Mawthoh said, “Although he has expressed his desire to contest but procedure needs to be followed.”
He said the reason for Lanong to conclude that he is denied the ticket is because of the talks that is doing the rounds about who is the better candidate and who has got more winnability factor.
“Officially, we have not sat to discuss. We also have a core committee which is like an advisory committee of which Lanong is also a part. We used to discuss and deliberate on these matters,” he said adding that when the party is talking about running a government, it is very crucial to select candidates who can win the elections.
He categorically denied that the UDP has sidelined Lanong.
“No, we have never sidelined him. In fact in all important meetings of the party, he is always being called. In the last two-three core committee meetings also we invited him. It is not that we sidelined or disregarded him,” he said.
On Lanong’s threat to float a new party, Mawthoh said, “Anybody can say that but how does it help. Will it help the people of the state.”
He said the party has made efforts right from the beginning to have one strong formidable regional force in the state and that is why it had roped in HSPDP and like-minded individuals so that the process is on. He said even elected MLAs, MDCs from other political parties are inclined to join UDP and from all indications, the party is slowly emerging as one strong regional force in Meghalaya.
“We don’t want other parties to come up as at the end of the day it will just be a split in the vote and then again have a fractured mandate,” Mawthoh said.