The Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) has sounded a note of confidence in its candidate for the upcoming Sohiong Assembly seat election.
The poll, delayed due to the death of candidate HDR Lyngdoh, will be held on May 10.
Sohiong had been won by the HSPDP’s Samlin Malngiang in 2018 but the MLA then defected just before this year’s election in order to join the National People’s Party (NPP).
With the defection of the Mawkyrwat legislator Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar, the HSPDP went into the recent polls with zero MLAs but, thanks to two wins, made a return to the Assembly through Shakliar Warjri from Mawthadraishan and Methodius Dkhar from Mawshynrut.
However, party discipline seems to be an issue with the two new legislators joining the NPP in government before the party leadership had taken that call.
HSPDP president KP Pangniang, who lost from Rambrai Jyrngam, said that its candidate in Sohiong, Sandondor Ryntathiang, is on the ground working hard for polling day.
“As you’re aware, the incumbent MLA left the party, so it is not easy for us to face the election even though we have strong party principles and a vote bank. We have a good candidate in Sandondor Ryntathiang, so it will all depend on the public mandate,” Pangniang said while stating that it is impossible for him to gauge how much sympathy votes the United Democratic Party will gain following the death of Lyngdoh, a former cabinet minister and Sohiong MLA.
