NPP State president and Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong today said that he has no information of any pressure to the NPP to select former Mawhati legislator Dasakhiatbha Lamare as the party’s candidate for the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Shillong seat.
“No not at all. I am not aware where you got this. My report is no,” Tynsong said while replying to queries by media persons if there is any pressure exerted on the NPP to select Lamare as the party’s candidate from the Shillong seat.
The NPP 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 Lamare. The Dhar Group is reportedly being backed by six to seven MLAs.
Lamare is the son of former Umroi MLA Ngaitlang Dhar, the elder brother of Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar.
According to party sources, the push for Lamare has unnerved 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.
However, the possibility was negated after the influential Dhar brothers advised the party to field Lamare as the candidate for the seat.
Meanwhile, Tynsong said that the NPP would announce the name of the candidates for the Shillong and Tura seats within this month.
He also informed that the party has not less than five to six aspirants for ticket to contest the Lok Sabha elections.