HSDP for separate Khasi-Jaintia State

From A Correspondent

Shillong, Aug 20: Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) chief and Nongkrem MLA Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit on Sunday reaffirmed his party’s stand for a separate Khasi-Jaintia State.

According to Basaiawmoit, the HSPDP will plunge into the campaign for the Assembly elections in 2018 with its demand for creation of the separate Khasi-Jaintia State.

“There is no question of backing out from this issue since this has been core agenda of the party for the past many decades,” the HSPDP president said.

It may be mentioned that party’s former supremo and legislator late Hopingstone Lyngdoh was a staunch proponent of a separate State.

Even its pre-poll alliance partner United Democratic Party (UDP) has backed the demand for a separate Garoland.

The UDP has formed an alliance with the Garo tiol Council (GNC) for the 2018 elections.

While the UDP in Khasi-Jaintia Hills is in alliance with the HSPDP, in Garo Hills it has come to a pre-poll understanding with the GNC. For decades, the HSPDP and the GNC are on the forefront demanding separate Khasi-Jaintia state and Garoland respectively.

Basaiawmoit also informed the media that the HSPDP’s main agenda for the 2018 polls, apart from demand for a separate Khasi State, would include implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) and introduction of Article 371 of the Constitution of India in Meghalaya.

He also stated that the core agenda of the party will be included in the common minimum programmes (CMP) of the regiol alliance. On Saturday, the UDP, which has formed a pre-poll alliance with the HSPDP, had stated that discussions are on for preparing a CMP to work on if the regiol coalition comes to power.

Meanwhile, Basaiawmoit said that the State Election Committee (SEC) has already approved the first list of the candidates who would contest next year’s Assembly polls.