Ehkupar Nongrum, an adviser to the National People’s Party (NPP), has joined the United Democratic Party (UDP), party general secretary Jemino Mawthoh informed today.
Mawthoh is hoping to wrest back the Nongthymmai seat in the February 27 Assembly election from Charles Pyngrope of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
Nongrum had fought them both in the past, with varying results. As a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate in 2013, he carried 2,002 votes. However, his performance fell off a cliff five years later when he ran on an NPP ticket, garnering just 352 votes.
This year, the NPP has decided to go with Dr Jasmine Lyngdoh, sister of sitting East Shillong MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh. The BJP, for its part, has picked former MDC David Kharsati.
Meanwhile, the Congress Party is hoping to make a comeback of its own in Nongthymmai this year. Although they won the seat in 2018 with Pyngrope, he later defected to the TMC.
The Congress is running with a teacher, Banidashisha Kharkongor, this year.
Having filed her nomination papers yesterday, Kharkongor said that the people still have faith in the Congress, who began preparations for the election in the constituency three to four months back.
A teacher by profession, she said that the state is facing so many problems in almost every department, especially in education and health, with the youth especially burdened with difficulties.
“The youth are so frustrated; there are no opportunities for them, especially when we talk about employment,” she said.
Stating that recognition of the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution will help the students of the state, Kharkongor opined that Meghalaya should make this a priority when dealing with the central government.
When asked about the performance of the sitting legislator, she said that a lot needs to be done as the constituency is facing water scarcity and roads and drains are not being repaired.
Referring to her more experienced rivals, she said, “They may be veterans in politics but there is also always a first time for everybody and everywhere we are talking of change. Without new faces there will never be any changes.”
