HSPDP chief bets big on alliance with UDP

From A Correspondent

Shillong, Sept 11: Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit on Monday exuded confidence that the regiol parties’ alliance will come to power on its own after the 2018 Assembly elections.

“As an alliance partner we are confident. There is no doubt we will get the requisite numbers to form the next government,” Basaiawmoit asserted.

The United Democratic Party (UDP) and the HSPDP have forged a pre-poll tie-up. The HSPDP president has been harping on the need for a non-Congress and non-BJP government in Meghalaya.

Basaiawmoit said the UDP and HSPDP have forged the alliance as it wanted to give the people of the State a viable altertive.

Last week, UDP working president Bindo Matthew Lanong had said that link with the party in power in Delhi is very crucial.

Lanong had even questioned that with the BJP in power at the Centre, how can the UDP be inimical to the saffron party?

The HSPDP president, however, said persolly, he felt that it was wrong to think that Meghalaya will not get funds if the party in power in the State does not have link with the government in Delhi.  

“We cannot go to a neighbouring country and ask for funds from them. In the spirit of cooperative federalism, the Centre is bound to help us,” Basaiawmoit said. 

Meanwhile, while maintaining that the UDP-HSPDP alliance will come to power on its own, Basaiawmoit also said it is too early to comment on a post-poll alliance even as he added that a single party from the alliance will not be able to decide on the issue.

The HSPDP president said if at all there is a post-poll alliance, there should be first a mutual understanding between the alliance partners.

On the issue of disgruntlement in the UDP and the HSPDP in certain constituencies over the alliance, Basaiawmoit stated that there is no dissatisfaction as parties, but only among individuals members.

“The HSPDP is committed towards the alliance and so is the UDP,” he claimed.