Is former Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) president Robertjune Kharjahrin a front runner for UDP ticket to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Shillong seat?
Kharjahrin joined the UDP yesterday at a party function held at Mawkyrwat.
Before formally joining the party, he told media persons here that he was keen to contest the Lok Sabha polls from the UDP.
Sources in the UDP said that Kharjahrin is likely to be the party candidate for next year’s Lok Sabha polls from Shillong parliamentary seat.
“Almost all party leaders are in favour of Kharjahrin. However, the final decision will be taken after all the procedures are completed,” a senior UDP leader said on condition of anonymity.
The UDP leader also said that Kharjahrin’s popularity as a pressure group leader and his ability to articulate his views and opinions on public issues are the advantages that he has over all other aspirants for UDP ticket.
It may be mentioned that besides Kharjahrin, other contenders for UDP ticket are Khasi Authors’ Society president D Rockyer L. Nonglait and former Mawlai MLA Process T. Sawkmie.
The UDP and HSPDP which are part of the Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA) have decided to field a common candidate for the Lok Sabha elections from Shillong seat.
Except the Voice of the People Party (VPP), none of the political parties in the State have finalised the candidate for the polls. The VPP has already named its general secretary Dr. Ricky A J Syngkon as the candidate for the Lok Sabha election from Shillong seat.
The NPP State president Prestone Tynsong has said that his party will declare the candidates for two Lok Sabha seats in Meghalaya in December.
For the Tura seat, the NPP might renominate sitting MP Agatha Sangma as the candidate.
However, for the Shillong seat, the party is locked in a tussle for ticket between two former MLAs – Himalaya M. Shangpliang and Dasakhiat Lamare.
Shangpliang who quit the BJP in September to join the NPP has shown keenness to contest the Lok Sabha polls.
Moreover, the BJP has also decided to put up candidates for the Shillong and Tura seats.
Cabinet minister Alexander Laloo Hek recently said that he was in the race along with two others for the BJP ticket to contest the Shillong Lok Sabha seat.
