The United Democratic Party (UDP) will declare its candidates for the upcoming state elections at the appropriate time and only after the party’s state election committee makes its decision.
This was told to Highland Post by UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh today after the party’s Ri-Bhoi unit put forward the names of three aspirants. The three are Sunshine Makri for Umsning constituency, Baiahunlang Makdoh for Mawhati and Badhok Nongmalieh for Jirang.
While Makdoh and Makri are new entrants, Nongmalieh had unsuccessfully contested the 2018 Assembly polls from Jirang on BJP ticket.
The district unit of the party is yet to decide on the ticket for Nongpoh and Umroi seats. However, it is clear that sitting Nongpoh MLA Mayralborn Syiem will contest the 2023 polls as a UDP candidate.
The candidature from Umroi is yet to be known as the party is trying to find a “better candidate” from the seat.
Mawthoh said that the party tickets have not been finalised for any constituencies to date. The UDP will contest almost every available seat in Khasi-Jaintia Hills while, for Garo Hills, the number will depend on the recommendations at the district level.
The party has no MLAs in Garo Hills but secured several second-placed finishes in the last GHADC election and the UDP is hoping to garner a few seats in the Assembly polls, which are to be held by March 2023. Mawthoh affirmed that the UDP’s Garo Hills units are all active.
Meanwhile, the Ri-Bhoi UDP held its general council at Nongpoh where new office bearers were elected for the period to 2025.
The new office bearers were confirmed in their roles by Mawthoh, in the presence of other senior party leaders.
The new office bearers included the district president Donbok Khymdeit, Balajied Rani, Sunshine Makri, Donkupar Sumer, Doris Sulei, RB Shadap as the working president, Rocky Kylla, Najim Kharmalki, CB Syiem, Elphin Kurbah, Sensi Lyngdoh, Baiahunlang Makdoh as the vice-president, general secretary Michael Kharhunai and others.
Speaking at the general council, Mawthoh expressed immense pleasure that the UDP party is gaining more recognition day by day and, with it, the support of the people.
