SHILLONG, April 1 – The regional political parties of Meghalaya are yet to release a common manifesto for the coming Lok Sabha polls, even as electioneering is picking up in the hill State. Four regional parties – United Democratic Party (UDP), Meghalaya Democratic Party (MDP), Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) have set up a consensus candidate, Loniak Marbaniang under the banner of Regional Parties’ Alliance (RPA) for the Shillong parliamentary seat.
Filing of nominations for the April 20 Lok Sabha elections in the State came to a close on Wednesday setting the stage for a multi-corner contest for the Shillong seat and a straight fight for the Tura seat. Four candidates would vie for the Shillong seat with member of the dissolved Lok Sabha P.R. Kyndiah (Congress), Sanbor Swell Lyngdoh (BJP), S. Loniak Marbaniang (RPA) and independent candidate Noren Talang in the fray.
Tura would witness a straight duel between former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A Sangma (Nationalist Trinamool Congress) and Dr Mukul Sangma of the Indian National Congress. The BJP has extended support to Purno Sangma in Tura as the NTC is a constituent of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Sangma has a tough fight in hand with the Congress going all out to unseat him.
While Congress president Sonia Gandhi is billed to campaign for Mukul Sangma in Tura, Mamata Banerjee is expected to help Purno Sangma during electioneering. According to political observers, Purno Sangma is in a somewhat disadvantageous position as the NTC symbol of grass and flowers is unknown to the rural populace. Sangma’s supporters have been working hard in the rural areas of the Garo Hills to apprise the electorate of the new symbol.
In Shillong, the veteran P.R. Kyndiah is seeking re-election for the third term. In the past, Kyndiah virtually had a cakewalk in the polls with no notable Opposition, but this time he is likely to face stiff competition from the regional parties’ Loniak Marbaniang, besides the BJP’s Sanbor Swell Lyngdoh.
The BJP is banking on the goodwill, which the rural populace of the Khasi-Jaintia Hills has for party candidate SS Lyngdoh’s father late Prof GG Swell. Besides Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, the saffron party also has plans to rope in its film star members to campaign in Shillong.
Interestingly, the number of contestants this time has come down drastically in comparison to the last Lok Sabha polls in 1999 during which there were nine candidates in the fray.