Shillong, Oct 27: The National People’s Party (NPP) has maintained that “it’s too early to comment” on former party leader WR Kharlukhi’s decision to support Congress nominee Vincent H Pala for the Shillong Lok Sabha bye-election.
NPP leader and Cabinet Minister Wailadmiki Shylla noted that Kharlukhi had clarified that he was supporting Pala as a candidate, not the Congress party.
“In Meghalaya, people tend to support the candidate, not the party. Sometimes during MP elections they support another candidate, in MLA another, and in MDC another. So for me to comment now is too early,” Shylla said on Tuesday.
He, however, expressed surprise over the former NPP president’s decision to back the Congress candidate.
“Dr Kharlukhi has been a very senior leader of the party. He was with the party for quite a very long time since our founder leader late PA Sangma was there. No doubt it has come out as a surprise for us,” he said.
To a query, he said, “Right now I am not in a position to comment on whether it will have an impact on us. We will have to wait and watch.”
Reacting to Kharlukhi’s claim that he extended support over the FCRA issue, Shylla said the NPP has consistently taken up the matter with the Centre.
“Our Chief Minister has led a delegation and I should thank the Union Government that based on our request, they have accepted our newly elected Rajya Sabha member to be a member in the FCRA committee. We have been vocal on this issue from day one and we are still in discussion with the Union Government,” he said.
On the campaign of NPP candidate Dr DRL Nonglait, Shylla said the response on the ground has been overwhelming.
“Everywhere our candidate went for campaigning – just last week in Jowai you have seen the turnout in spite of the harvesting season. Even today in Umroi, the turnout was huge. Support is growing day by day,” he said.
“We have got a very good candidate who can connect from the youth to the elders, a very good and calm person. That itself attracts people. Not only NPP supporters come, supporters of all other parties come and say this time we are coming to support Dr DRL Nonglait,” Shylla said.
On the party’s manifesto, he said it will be shared soon.
