Shillong, Mar 5: Even as the United Democratic Party (UDP) high command is yet to take a call on whether to field any candidate for the upcoming Shillong Lok Sabha by-election, former cabinet minister and party MLA for West Shillong, Paul Lyngdoh, has expressed his disinterest in contesting again.
Lyngdoh had run for Parliament in 2014 but finished in a distant third place behind eventual winner Vincent Pala of the Congress and independent candidate PBM Basaiawmoit.
At that point Lyngdoh had also been booted out of the state Assembly and the loss in the Lok Sabha election was the nadir of his political career. Having since made a comeback in state politics, he stated today that he intends to focus entirely on local issues as there is significant work to be done in Meghalaya.
He also pointed to what he described as a gap in capable leadership within the state.
When asked what his response would be if the UDP leadership requests him to contest, Lyngdoh said he would politely decline.
“We do have capable leaders but you will also realise that we have just crossed the two-and-a-half-year mark of the current House. I would like to ensure that I complete this term to the satisfaction of not just the electorate of 18 West Shillong constituency, but also of Meghalaya,” Lyngdoh added.
The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has so far been the only political outfit to name a candidate for the by-election, which was necessitated after the incumbent MP, Ricky AJ Syngkon, died suddenly last month. Syngkon was from the VPP and the party has chosen its spokesperson, Batskhem Myrboh, as its new face for the Shillong seat.
The UDP’s performance in 2024 was beyond lacklustre. Fielding former pressure group leader and first time contestant Robertjune Kharjahrin, the party secured just 4.29 percent of the vote.
