Despite the HSPDP being part of the Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA) with the UDP, two MLAs of the party have not joined the election campaign for the alliance’s candidate for the Shillong seat in this month’s Lok Sabha election.
Robertjune Kharjahrin is the candidate sponsored by the RDA for the upcoming general election. He is contesting on the UDP symbol.
However, cabinet minister Shakliar Warjri and Mawshynrut MLA Methodius Dkhar, both belonging to the HSPDP, have not been seen in any of the poll campaigns for Kharjahrin.
Even in election rallies held in Mawthadraishan, Warjri’s constituency, the local MLA was nowhere to be seen. Similarly, in Mawshynrut constituency, Dkhar skipped all the campaign meetings organised in favour of Kharjahrin.
HSPDP president K Phlastingwell Malngiang was the only regular attendant in all the RDA campaigns.
Many poll observers have expressed surprise over the absence of the two HSPDP legislators from the poll campaigns.
Some of them opined that the two MLAs may have felt hurt by the activities carried out by Kharjahrin against them while he was the president of the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC).
The HYC on March 4, 2023 had come out strongly against Warjri and Dkhar for joining the NPP-led alliance in forming the government. The organisation also convened a meeting at Motphran here to protest against the decision of the duo and also burnt their effigies. Later, unidentified miscreants also torched Dkhar’s office at Laitumkhrah on the same day.
The UDP, on the other hand, was well represented in the campaign meetings with party president Metbah Lyngdoh seen garnering support for Kharjahrin.
Several UDP MLAs and MDCs also took part in the election campaigns held across the length and breadth of Shillong parliamentary seat consisting of 36 Assembly segments.
However, UDP MLA and cabinet minister Paul Lyngdoh has also hardly been seen in most of the meetings held so far.
