The newly formed State executive committee of the NPP today decided to forward the names of probable candidates for the two Lok Sabha seats from Meghalaya to the national president of the party Conrad Sangma for his approval.
The meeting held at the party office here was chaired by State NPP president and deputy chief minister, Prestone Tynsong.
Speaking to media persons after the meeting, Tynsong informed that there were not less than 5-6 ticket aspirants from each constituency. He however refused to disclose the names of the candidates recommended by the committee for approval.
Tynsong admitted that there are many who are seeking the party’s ticket to fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, especially for the Shillong seat.
“We had convened the State election authority set up by the national president (Conrad Sangma). We have done our homework, we have done our consultations till the grass root level like the different districts and blocks,” Tynsong said.
He also informed that in the next few days the national president of the party will give his approval for the candidates of these two parliamentary constituencies, Shillong and Tura.
Tynsong said that since he has taken over as the president of the state unit of the party a new strategy has been worked out on how the party should function.
“From the level of the working president, the vice-president, the general secretaries and also secretaries in-charge of the different districts, we have given an order and through these we can strengthen the NPP in the State,” he said.
Tynsong also said that in the 2024 Lok Sabha election the NPP will go alone despite the party being part of a coalition government which includes the UDP and the HSPDP.
He also said that in the 2019 parliamentary polls, the party did not field any candidate since there was an agreement which was made in 2018 with the then UDP president late Donkupar Roy for a common candidate from the UDP.
“However when we formed the coalition government in the State in 2023, there was no such prior agreement or arrangement and therefore we will field our own candidate,” Tynsong said.
It may be mentioned that cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh is in the race for the NPP ticket for the Lok Sabha elections from Shillong seat. Sitting party MP, Agatha Sangma is likely to be renominated from Tura seat.
The entry of Lyngdoh into the race has made the tussle for NPP ticket for Shillong seat more interesting to watch.
Recently, the party is reportedly facing a lot of pressure from the State’s prominent business house, Dhar Group, to award the ticket for the Shillong seat to Dasakhiat Lamare.
Lamare is the son of former Umroi MLA Ngaitlang Dhar, the elder brother of Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar.
The Dhar Group is reportedly being backed by six to seven MLAs.
According to party sources, the push for Lamare has unnerved former Mawsynram MLA Himalaya M. Shangpliang who left the BJP and joined the NPP recently with an eye on the ticket for the Lok Sabha poll from Shillong seat.
