The Congress Party is publicly exuding confidence that its candidate, Highlander Kharmalki, will win the Mawryngkneng by-election even if the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) coalition supports a joint candidate.
Speaking to Highland Post, Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee secretary and MDC, Bajop Pyngrope said that the challenge by Pyniad Sing Syiem, the candidate of the NPP and current Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) chairman and Sohryngkham MDC, will not be strong enough to displace the Congress.
Kharmalki is looking to succeed the late David Nongrum, whose death in February necessitated the by-poll, the date of which has not been announced by the Election Commission. Kharmalki had, in the 2018 Assembly election, challenged Nongrum from the People’s Democratic Front (PDF) but switched over to the Congress recently.
Pyngrope stated that in the last election the NPP had won in only seven polling stations in the constituency, with Congress taking 32.
“Everybody is nervous after we chose Kharmalki as the Congress candidate this time and it’s going to be a good fight in the Mawryngkneng by-poll because all the other leaders will try to destabilise the Congress,” he added.
However, he expressed doubts about the viability of a joint candidate, pointing to the 2019 Lok Sabha election, where the MDA fielded Jemino Mawthoh of the United Democratic Party yet was still unable to unseat Vincent Pala of the Congress.
So far, the PDF has decided that it will not field a candidate as Kharmalki’s defection left them without a viable contender. The other parties have yet to make their intentions clear.
Syiem had also contested the seat in 2018 but finished a distant third.
“This seat is very important because it is a Congress seat and we will retain it,” Pyngrope concluded.
The Election Commission has not yet decided the date for the by-poll. As per rule, the vacant seat has to be filled within six months.
