Shillong, Sept 21: United Democratic Party (UDP) chief Metbah Lyngdoh has made it clear that any MLA joining the BJP would do so in his personal capacity and it is not the party merging with the national party.
“There has been a lot of news going around about frequent political shifts, especially concerning UDP. There are those who are misleading people by spreading news that UDP is going to join BJP – this is wrong,” Lyngdoh said while campaigning for the party’s Shillong Lok Sabha bypoll candidate Vivanstone Kharngapkynta at Jowai on Sunday.
Making it clear that UDP won’t go and join any other party, he said, “We can work together with any party at any time on principles that we as UDP have, but there is no decision by UDP leaders to join any other political party.”
“If any representative goes and joins, it is their individual, personal decision, but not from the side of the party,” Lyngdoh asserted.
Defending the party’s strength despite imminent defections, he said, “We still have here the general secretary of the party, we have the MDCs and we have MLA Nujorki Sungoh. We are moving forward to campaign for this Shillong Lok Sabha bye-election.”
Pitching Kharngapkynta as a strong voice for the state in Delhi, Lyngdoh said, “We are fortunate that we got a senior advocate as our candidate. For almost 40 years, the senior advocate of the KHADC has not lost a single case inside the KHADC.”
“He is one of the most capable lawyers to fight for our land and our community,” he added.
Pointing at the “miniscule” Khasi-Pnar community with only 37-38 lakh population, he said, “We go to Lad Rymbai, how is it? We go to Dawki, Jhalupara, Polo, how is it? I say this not because I hate other communities. I always say – I love my own and I respect that of others. This is the message we always give from the platform of UDP.”
Recalling the Hill State movement, Lyngdoh said, “Why did we decide to get a Hill State? If we had remained with the Assam Government, I don’t know what would have happened to our community, but God opened the way. Now that we have our own state, do we have the spirit to serve?”
“We have to follow in their footsteps. They were leaders with a broad and big heart, not to earn for themselves but to do something for the public,” he said.
Referring to UDP’s historic sweep in Jaintia Hills in 1998, he said, “In 1998, Jaintia Hills draped its seven shawls on seven UDP MLAs.”
“Our leaders do not have wealth, gold and silver to give to the people, but they give the spirit to serve for you, the public,” Lyngdoh added.
