SHILLONG:
The National People’s Party (NPP) will decide on the official candidate shortly for the Shillong parliamentary seat for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar told reporters on Wednesday that the name of the candidate may be revealed by the last week of August or September.
The NPP leader also said that the party already has its sitting MP Agatha Sangma from the Tura parliamentary seat. “Now, we have to decide and take a call only for the Shillong seat.”
Dhar informed that as many as 20 aspiring candidates have approached the NPP for a ticket from the Shillong seat.
He however refused to reveal the names and said all the aspiring candidates are “good ones”.
When asked, Dhar said that the NPP will also seek the support of the MDA coalition partners.
“Obviously, we will set up our own candidates. We will request all coalition partners to support us. That is the rule in politics. There is no harm in requesting friends to support us,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dhar said that the party is also gearing up its preparation for the upcoming elections to the KHADC and JHADC.
“If VPP is claiming it, we will also claim that we are going to make a clean sweep in all constituencies. Claims may be made by any party but ultimately, voters are the ones who will decide,” he said.
EJH, Cachar DCs to conduct joint visit to Khasi-Pnar village in Assam
Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Urban Affairs Sniawbhalang Dhar on Wednesday said the deputy commissioners of East Jaintia Hills and Cachar have been asked to conduct a joint visit to Baikam village in Assam and submit a report to the respective regional committees of Meghalaya and Assam.
Dhar, who is also chairman of the regional committee on border dispute, told reporters that the decision was taken during a meeting held at Umkiang recently between representatives from Meghalaya and Assam to discuss the border issue.
“Both the DC of East Jaintia Hills and Cachar will conduct a visit and submit an accurate report to the respective committees of Assam and Meghalaya. We (regional committees) will then submit a report to our respective state governments and both chief ministers will take a call on the matter,” he said.
Dhar said Baikam village (under the Ratacherra sector) has around 37 households belonging to the Khasi-Pnar community and presently the village is in Assam.
“The people here have availed everything from Assam in the past but now they want to come to Meghalaya. Therefore, we have decided to send the DCs to take a report as to which side they choose,” Dhar said.
When asked, the deputy chief minister said that the matter relating to Baikam village has come up during the survey conducted for demarcation after the MoU was signed between Assam and Meghalaya last year, which has resolved 6 areas of difference including Ratacherra sector.
“That time (during the first phase of border talks), we didn’t know it was there as nobody came to us,” he said.
According to him, the joint inspection will ensure there is no confusion created on the matter and that the two governments will decide as per the wish of the people.
Meanwhile, Dhar informed that the process of demarcation of the boundaries of the two states in the resolved areas of difference has been put on hold due to floods. “I think by September, they will start again,” he said.