SHILLONG, JUNE 6: The United Democratic Party (UDP) is set to conduct a thorough introspection to identify the reasons behind its electoral setbacks, particularly the recent Lok Sabha defeat. This follows the impressive victory of the Voice of the People Party (VPP) in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region.
UDP President Metbah Lyngdoh, who also chaired the Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA), acknowledged the need for the party to reflect on its performance over the past year. “We will do an introspection to find out what went wrong between the 2023 assembly elections and the recent MP elections,” Lyngdoh stated. Despite the challenges, he assured that the UDP would closely monitor its performance and make necessary adjustments.
When asked about the future of the RDA, Lyngdoh clarified that the alliance was initially formed for the Lok Sabha elections. He mentioned that the RDA would soon meet to review its direction, expressing a hope that the alliance would continue to move forward together.
The urgency for introspection comes in the wake of VPP’s Ricky Andrew J Syngkon defeating RDA candidate Robertjune Kharjahrin as well as veteran Congress leader and three-time MP Vincent Pala by a significant margin of 371,910 votes in the prestigious Shillong Lok Sabha constituency. This victory has positioned the VPP as a rising political force, potentially threatening the dominance of regional parties like the UDP in Meghalaya.
VPP, established in November 2021, has rapidly gained traction, winning four seats in the 2023 Meghalaya Legislative Assembly elections out of the 18 it contested. Party President Ardent M Basaiawmoit described the recent election as a referendum, indicating a shift in public trust away from the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government. The VPP’s priorities include tackling corruption, poverty, and partiality, with a goal of replacing regional parties in the state.
In response to these developments, the UDP’s introspection aims to recalibrate its strategies and regain the confidence of voters ahead of the upcoming Autonomous District Councils elections in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills.
