A day after Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma decided that his National People’s Party (NPP) will not field any candidates in the two Lok Sabha seats in Arunachal Pradesh and instead support the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominees, the question remains as to whether the saffron party will accept a quid pro quo and stand down in Meghalaya.
The BJP holds both seats in Arunachal, while the NPP is the incumbent in only one of Meghalaya’s, ie Tura.
Recently, Highland Post had reported that the BJP could have named the candidates for Shillong and Tura either on March 2 or March 13 when the first and second lists of the party were released but was prevented by the NPP, an ally in the National Democratic Alliance.
According to sources, the NPP wants the BJP to support its candidates for the Meghalaya seats to avoid a split in the vote.
The NPP in Meghalaya is reportedly worried that the candidates of the parties who have already thrown their hats in the ring have substantial vote bases.
For Shillong there are five BJP contenders – former president Ernest Mawrie, cabinet minister AL Hek, lawyer Fenela Lyngdoh Nonglait, Mewaker Lyngdoh Pakma and Sumitra Laloo.
For Tura there are six individuals vying for the BJP ticket – Tura MDC Bernard N Marak, Boston Marak, Riya Sangma, KC Boro, Winnerson D Sangma and Thomas Sangma.
For the Shillong seat, the Voice of the People Party has fielded Ricky AJ Syngkon, the United Democratic Party-Hill State People’s Democratic Party alliance Robertjune Kharjahrin and the NPP cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh. The NPP is making its first foray in the Shillong seat and is looking to unseat the Congress’s Vincent Pala, who has represented the constituency in Parliament since 2009.
In Tura, sitting MP Agatha K Sangma will contest from the NPP, the Congress has announced the name of Saleng A Sangma and the Trinamool Congress will field Zenith Sangma.
