Shillong, Apr 8: South Shillong MLA and cabinet minister Sanbor Shullai has expressed his readiness to run in the upcoming Shillong Lok Sabha by-election if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership calls upon him to do so.
Emphasising his loyalty as a disciplined party member, Shullai confirmed he would follow any directives issued by the state or central high command regarding his candidacy.
While the central leadership has already authorised the state unit to participate in the by-poll, Shullai said that the formal selection process, including the invitation for applications from potential candidates, has not yet been initiated by the party president.
Shullai ran in the 2019 election but finished a distant third with under 10 percent of the vote and only around 76,000 votes. The BJP did not contest the 2024 parliamentary polls, instead choosing to support the candidate chosen by its ally, the National People’s Party (NPP).
Reflecting on his 2019 campaign, which was limited to just three weeks, Shullai voiced his hope that the party’s chosen representative would be granted sufficient time to campaign effectively across the constituency.
The 2024 general election saw Ricky AJ Syngkon elected in a landslide for the Voice of the People Party (VPP). However, the seat became vacant when Syngkon died of a heart attack in February this year. The date of the by-election has yet to be announced by the Election Commission.
