Meghalaya to witness rush of central leaders for poll campaign in January

The national president of Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), Amit Shah and Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh will visit Meghalaya as part of the party’s election campaign next month.

BJP election in-charge of Meghalaya, Alphons Joseph Kannanthanam will arrive in the State in the first week of January to review the poll preparedness again.

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He will also chalk out the travel plans of the central party leaders.

Meanwhile, eight legislators, most of them from the Congress, are set to join NPP in the first week of January.

State NPP president WR Kharlukhi said on Friday that the joining of the eight MLAs — Congress’s Prestone Tynsong, Rowell Lyngdoh, Comingone Ymbon, Sniawbhalang Dhar and Ngaitlang Dhar, UDP’s Remington Pyngrope, and independents Stephanson Mukhim and Hopeful Bamon — will give the party a significant boost.

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While suspended Congress legislator Pyngshngainlang N Syiem recently quit from the Assembly and the party, other rebel legislators of the Congress were waiting for an opportune time.

However, another rebel legislator, Rowell Lyngdoh, said since the government has already sanctioned the MLA schemes, he will formally join NPP soon.

While commenting on the stand of UDP leader Bindo Lanong on paper ballot, Kharlukhi said Lanong should have accepted the challenge posed by the Election Commission after the Punjab polls to test the efficacy of EVMs.

“I wanted to know why UDP did not participate in the Election Commission’s challenge along with AAP,” Kharlukhi said.

While Lanong still wants to have paper ballot for the 2018 Assembly polls, Kharlukhi said NPP does not see any problem with EVMs.

Meanwhile, former Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) legislator Lambor Malngiang, who will contest the Assembly polls from Nongkrem as an Independent candidate, said on Friday an MLA should act instead of giving lip services.

Addressing a gathering at a meeting in Madanrting after distributing blankets for Christmas, Malngiang said an MLA should work hand in hand with people to bring about positive changes.