The United Democratic Party (UDP) has decided to hold its general council to elect new office-bearers of the party in September this year.
The UDP took this decision on Friday during its central executive committee meeting, which also reviewed the performance of the party in the last Lok Sabha elections to the Shillong Parliamentary constituency.
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The UDP candidate, Jemino Mawthoh, who was supported by partners of the MDA government, could win as sitting MP of the Congress, Vincent H. Pala defeated him by a margin of over 1.52 lakh votes.
UDP’s senior leader Bindo M. Lanong, however, said that the party has accepted the defeat and it was not true to say that the defeat was because the MDA partners have betrayed the UDP candidate.
Lanong said that views and observations of party leaders from different districts on the Lok Sabha polls were heard.
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“There have been reports suggesting that the UDP has been betrayed by our coalition partners in the MDA. But it is not true at all because we have not been betrayed and nobody has betrayed us,” Lanong said, adding that there were many factors that led to the defeat because the voters were misled by the opponents especially the Congress.
Lanong said, “The UDP has decided to strengthen the party across the state and the meeting decided to hold the general council of the party in Shillong on September 11 to elect new office-bearers of the CEC.”
Lanong said the UDP would also hold a meeting in Garo Hills next month to discuss various issues related to strengthening the party and the upcoming elections to the Garo Hill Autonomous District Council.
Stating that parties that formed the government in state have to work together with the BJP that formed the NDA government at the Centre, Lanong questioned the Congress whether those states being ruled by the Congress, would not work together with the Centre.
Lanong also said that the UDP has not changed its stand on issues that are anti-state and anti-people including the CAB.
“Our stand has not changed and we will again take up the CAB issue along with our MDA partners,” he said, while recalling the meeting of various regional parties chaired by Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma at Guwahati in January this year to oppose the CAB.