The National People’s Party (NPP) candidate for the Mawryngkneng by-election, Pyniaid Sing Syiem, sounded a confident note today that he will be able to unseat the Congress from the Assembly constituency.
Syiem is the Sohryngkham MDC in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC). His district council seat overlaps to a large extent with the Mawryngkneng Assembly constituency. However, when he contested the 2018 state elections, he finished only third.
The by-election was necessitated by the death of the sitting MLA, David Nongrum of the Congress, in February. The Congress will field Highlander Kharmalki, who was formerly of the People’s Democratic Front, in the by-poll.
“In every meeting and campaign we go to, the people have given their word to give me a chance this time because I am not a new face here but I have served continuously and been in close contact with the people here for seven years as an MDC,” he told Highland Post.
Around 85 per cent of the Assembly constituency falls under his Sohryngkham MDC seat and this, he feels, gives him an advantage.
As MDC, Syiem said that he has always worked closely with the local Dorbar Shnongs and striven hard to preserve the customary practices of the Khasi people. As an MLA, he said he would aim to bring in greater development to Mawryngkneng’s 70 villages in terms of better health facilities, drinking water, education and roads.
“We are fully prepared no matter who contests against us because we have already worked hard and not sat idle all these years and we will reap what we sow,” he maintained.
