Shillong, Jan 4: The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) on Saturday said it’s been a challenge for the party to align with any other party for the upcoming autonomous district council (ADC) polls due to its “pro-Hynniewtrep agenda”.
The party has not considered any pre-poll alliance because its ideology and manifesto are very different (from other parties), KHNAM working president Thomas Passah said after the party’s central executive committee (CEC) meeting.
“We have pro-Hynniewtrep agenda. …we will be preparing our manifesto consisting of very strong and effective points,” he said.
He asserted that for any alliance with the KHNAM, its partner has to accept the party’s manifesto “in toto”.
Meanwhile, KHANM’s all 10 candidates in the first list have been asked to arrive align themselves with the party ideology, he said.
“We have to listen to their hardships also so that we make sure we have one goal, one agenda for this MDC elections so that we ensure we go as a team and not as individual candidates,” he said.
With the absence of anti-defection law in the ADCs, Passah said, “Therefore we have tried to discuss with the candidates to show there is unity among all the candidates, especially after winning, no candidates should leave the party.”
The KHNAM has so far finalised 10 candidates for the KHADC polls to be held on February 21.
“We have another 10 applications pending and the state election committee is looking into it. On SEC’s recommendation, CEC will take a call likely within 7 days,” Passah said while adding that the party is not going contest all the 29 seats.
He further said the party would release its manifesto very soon.
Accusing the district council of failing to fulfil the mandate of Sixth Schedule in the past 72 years, he said the party has prioritised looking into the various acts and regulations of the district council.
“Our objective is mainly to strengthen the district council as provided by the Sixth Schedule,” he said.
