Winning prospects a must for MDA candidate: Jemino Mawthoh

Staff Correspondent

Shillong: The United Democratic Party (UDP) general cretary and a projected candidate of the party for the upcoming Lok Sabha Polls from the Shillong seat Jemino Mawthoh felt that the acceptability and winability factor should be the shepherding mantra to evolve a consensus candidate of the Regional Democratic Allaince (RDA).

Presently, they are part of present ruling coalition under the banner of the Meghalya Democratic Allaince (MDA) led by the Nationalist Peoples Party (NPP).

Mawthoh has been projected as the candidate of the UDP and the Hill State Peoples Democratic Party (HSPDP) has projected Renikton Lyngdoh as its candidate. The People’s Democratic Front (PDF) has also shown its interest to have its own candidate in the electoral fray. Mawthoh views were solicited on Monday to understand his generic view that that can create a rift amongst the regional party allies. He said, “We have a common thrust to build the common ideology that we have ,but it depends on the co-ordination committee of the (RDA) to formally decide.”

Diplomatic but assertive, the UDP General Secretary also underscored the importance of acknowledging the UDP as a major partner in the present coalition government. “Acceptability and winability factor should be the things that also need to look upon when we are working in line with the same principle,” stated Mawthoh while confessing that he has already carried out the spade work by meeting people in Khasi Jaintia Hills.

Mawthoh himself was the projected candidate to take on the Congress candidate Vincent Pala but refused to contest in 2014. Asked on why he preferred to contest this time, Mawthoh said that , “By now I have the experience and the voices right from the MLAs, MDCs and people representing the varied communities wanted me to project myself and be heard in parliament”.

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