Shillong: In a significant political development, the United Democratic Party (UDP) and the Hills State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) have joined forces under the Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA) to field a common candidate for the forthcoming Member of Parliament (MP) General Election scheduled for next year.
However, the name of the Common Candidate has not been decided yet, but three potential candidates have emerged, including Khasi Author Society (KAS) President, DRL Nonglait; pressure group leader and lawyer, Robertjune Kharjahrin; and UDP’s former MLA of Mawlai, Process T Sawkmie.
UDP leader and former MLA, Dr. Jemino Mawthoh, addressed reporters on Monday, urging other regional parties to come together to amplify the collective voice of the ‘Jaitbynriew’ community.
“If there are other regional political parties who want to join hands with us, we are ready to work together with unity. We aspire to see a united ‘Jaitbynriew’ and a cohesion among all regional parties,” stated Mawthoh.
He emphasized that the UDP and HSPDP, being two of the oldest regional parties, share a long-standing relationship and will collaborate as a ‘Regional Force’ for the betterment of the people.
When asked about official talks with the Voice of the People’s Party (VPP) regarding a Common Candidate, Mawthoh clarified that the party has not engaged in formal discussions with the VPP thus far.
“In case we do have this talk with them (VPP), I think it is not a bad idea. We are regional parties with identical ideology, vision, common concerns, and common agendas… I personally feel we should be united,” added Mawthoh.
Mawthoh, previously a candidate of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) contesting on a UDP symbol during the 2019 MP Election with support from all regional parties, including the National People’s Party (NPP), noted that this time, they will not form a partnership with the NPP. Instead, they are urging all regional parties to unite and establish a robust ‘Regional Force’.
Meanwhile, the VPP has already announced their candidate for the upcoming MP election, with party leader Dr. Ricky Syngkong set to contest.
