The United Democratic Party (UDP) is unfazed by the formation of a new regional party, the Voice of the People Party (VPP), saying that yet another outfit chasing the same votes in Khasi-Jaiñtia Hills will not hurt the UDP.
The creation of the VPP was announced by former UDP legislator Ardent M Basaiawmoit yesterday.
There are now several regional parties centred on Khasi-Jaiñtia Hills and which mainly chase after votes of the indigenous population. Besides the UDP and VPP there are the Hill State People’s Democratic Party, People’s Democratic Front and Khun Hynñiewtrep National Awakening Movement.
According to UDP president and Speaker of the Assembly, Metbah Lyngdoh, the UDP is the only real regional party; it does have more MLAs in the legislature than any of the others.
“Looking from all angles, I think the UDP is the party people look up to. We are pitching on that and will see how we can take our party forwards,” Lyngdoh said.
On efforts to unify all the regional forces in Meghalaya, he said that sincere attempts have been made in the past but “at the end of the day we have seen that we could not (unite). There are various reasons for that.”
