SHILLONG, SEPT 20: United Democratic Party (UDP) chief Metbah Lyngdoh on Saturday dismissed reports that the party is joining the BJP as “misleading” and said any MLA who joins another party does so in his personal capacity.
Campaigning for Shillong Lok Sabha bypoll candidate Vivanstone Kharngapkynta at Jowai, Lyngdoh said, “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.”
“UDP is its own party and it will not go and join any other party. 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,” he said.
“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 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 still in the party and we are moving forward to campaign for this Shillong Lok Sabha byelection.”
Pitching Kharngapkynta as a strong voice for the state in Delhi, Lyngdoh said, “We are happy we got him as candidate and we are sending him to Parliament when he wins, not just to go and speak. 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.
Highlighting the vulnerability of indigenous communities, he said, “Our Khasi-Pnar community – in the whole state of Meghalaya we are 37-38 lakh. Assam has 3-4 crore. A community with a small population has very few people.”
“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,” he said.
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.
