Shillong, May 28: United Democratic Party (UDP) candidate for the Shillong Lok Sabha by-poll, Vivanstone G Kharngap Kynta, today said his entry into electoral politics is aimed at strengthening the voice of indigenous people and protecting the interests of Meghalaya in Parliament.
Speaking to reporters, Kynta clarified that while he had earlier been associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from 2022 to 2023, his involvement was never electoral in nature.
“This is the first [election] that I have jumped into,” Kynta said. “My foray into other political parties was not electoral. It was with the interest of the people of the state.”
He also stated that his decision to leave the BJP was personal and not linked to denial of a ticket or electoral considerations.
“I joined only for some time and I felt that the best platform is the indigenous platform,” he said, describing the UDP as a party rooted in the legacy of earlier regional political movements such as the All Party Hill Leaders’ Conference and Hill People’s Union. While joining the BJP he had dismissively referred to regional parties like the UDP as “small muddy ponds”. He apologised only after quitting the saffron party.
He refrained from commenting on rival candidates and said the electorate would ultimately judge his performance as a first-time contestant.
Kynta said communication and consensus-building would be key if elected to Parliament, particularly for a regional party representative.
“If I go to Parliament and raise the voice of an indigenous party from Meghalaya, I’ll be lost in the ocean if I work alone,” he said. “I have to win the confidence of other Members of Parliament and work with them for the interests of the state.”
He said he would work across party lines and communicate in different languages, including Hindi, to build support for issues concerning Meghalaya and indigenous communities.
Among the issues he highlighted were the Assam-Meghalaya border dispute, inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution and strengthening the autonomy of district councils in the state.
“We have got the district councils here in Meghalaya. They should not be weakened or treated with step-brotherly treatment by the state government,” Kynta said.
“The Constitution has provided autonomy for the tribal areas of Meghalaya, and that autonomy should not be wiped out because of vested interests,” he added.
Party president Metbah Lyngdoh, meanwhile, underlined Kynta’s legal and administrative experience, noting that he had served as the standing counsel of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) for 30 years.
“He has contributed a lot to the KHADC, which means for the welfare of the indigenous people of the state,” Lyngdoh said, adding that the candidate’s background in law and governance was one of the factors considered while selecting him for the bypoll.
