Contrary to other political parties who are going hammer and tongs for the upcoming Meghalaya elections, the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) is not so enthusiastic about fielding any candidates for the celebration of democracy.
KHNAM has received requests for nine tickets. The tiny regional party only won one seat in the 2018 election but that legislator, North Shillong’s Adelbert Nongrum, had a falling out with other members of the KHNAM leadership and quit.
Speaking to Highland Post, KHNAM leader Thomas Passah said that even though nine people have already asked for the party ticket, the leadership will take a final call only after its party meeting scheduled for the last week of this month.
“We have to scrutinise these nine candidates properly and see if they really want to give their services and also consider if the winibility factor is there or else it would be pointless,” Passah said.
Stating that there is no denying that KHNAM was badly affected by the infighting that has plagued the party, he said that it will regroup for next year’s KHADC polls.
KHNAM aims to field candidates for all 30 seats in the district council.
Passah also expressed a wish that there were not so many regional parties in Meghalaya. “Had there been only one regional force it would have mattered for the wellbeing of the citizens and state but this is also next to impossible and sounds nice only in words,” he maintained.
He added that the public hold the key for the survival of any regional party because without their support it is inevitable for the party to weaken or disappear.
