Hynñiewtrep Youth Council (HYC) leader Robertjune Kharjahrin today confirmed that he desires to contest the Shillong Lok Sabha seat from the United Democratic Party (UDP).
Kharjahrin had stepped down from his post as HYC president recently.
The former pressure group leader today officially joined the UDP in a function held in Mawkyrwat and was welcomed by Mawkyrwat MLA, Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar in the presence of other leaders of the party.
During his speech, he expressed his desire to contest the polls and said that he wants to fight and raise the various issues of the indigenous people of the state on his own in the Lok Sabha.
Kharjahrin said that the aims and objectives of both the platforms (as an NGO leader and a politician) are the same.
“Now being in a political party, I am not thinking whether I can demand for implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state or whether I can call for the protection of the state’s boundary,” he said.
According to him the manifesto of the UDP, its constitution and aims and objective is the same, that is, to safeguard and preserve the identity of the tribal people.
“That is the mission that is the principle in which I have lived while being in the pressure group,” he said.
Kharjahrin also pointed out that there may be some difference in the approach while being in a pressure group but now after joining a political party, the target to protect the indigenous people and its land will be different.
“Earlier, while being in a pressure group, we fought on the streets for the rights of the indigenous people and our land but now it will be through ballot papers and EVMs. It comes to the same but only the approach is different,” he added.
He said that after May 2024, if he gets the UDP ticket and is elected to the Lok Sabha he will not have to go to any Member of Parliament to urge them to take up issues concerning the people of the state but he himself will fight for them.
“I will stand in the Parliament to demand for implementation of ILP, to resolve the long pending border dispute with Assam,” Kharjahrin added.
