Former Mawphlang MLA Kennedy Khyriem was accepted into the National People’s Party (NPP) at a function today in the presence of party president and Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.
He will also be the party’s candidate for the Mawphlang seat in the 2023 state elections.
Khyriem joins the NPP from the Congress Party, for whom he had unsuccessfully contested the Mawphlang by-election last year.
Also present on the occasion were Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, Rambrai-Jyrngam MDC Bajop Pyngrope and Mawphlang-Diengiei MDC Lamphrang Blah.
Before the by-election, Blah quit the Congress to contest the Mawphlang seat on an NPP ticket. In the end, both he and Khyriem lost to the United Democratic Party’s Eugeneson Lyngdoh.
“In 2021 Bah Blah and I were fighting a losing battle… During that time hate and hatred separated us but today because of the love for our people and constituency we have joined together to fight a winning battle in 2022,” Khyriem said.
He further thanked Blah for agreeing to support Khyriem’s candidature next year. In the by-poll, Khyriem finished second to Lyngdoh, trailing by 4,401 votes (13,285 to 8,884). Blah was third with 5,103.
