Basaiawmoit likely to switch to PDF: Nongrum

FROM A REPORTER

SHILLONG, May 16: Khun Hynniewtrep tiol Awakening Movement (KHM) working president Adelbert Nongrum said that the recent induction of party member James Ban Basaiawmoit into the fold of the People’s Democratic Forum (PDF) as an Executive Member (EM) is an indication that Basaiawmoit will switch to newly floated party ‘People’s Democratic Front’ (PDF).

Basaiawmoit was inducted as an EM by the Executive Committee (EC) of Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) led by CEM P N Syiem through a notification on May 3.

Speaking to The Sentinel on phone on Tuesday, Nongrum informed that even as Basaiawmoit has been conferred the position of EM in the KHADC, he has yet to officially inform the party about his appointment.

“This is not the first time he (Basaiawmoit) has sidelined the party by not informing about his induction, easier also when he was appointed as chairman he did not inform the CEC of the party,” he said.

He added, “By not communicating to the party that he (Basaiawmoit) has been inducted as an EM clearly indicates that he is only waiting for the right time to switch to the People’s Democratic Front.”

Nongrum said that in the party there is only two principles either you abide by the party ideology or you leave the party or get removed from the party.

He said that if Basaiawmoit had so much problems with the party then why did he not desert the party for the last three years.

Asked on the prospect of KHM in the upcoming 2018 MLA polls given the senior MDCs in the KHADC had deserted the party, he said, “The principle of KHM is that we want quality and not quantity and let the public decide as some people have used the party as a platform for their own election propaganda.”