Congress to field corrupt free candidates for 2023 polls

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 1, 2022

Congress chief Vincent H Pala on Friday said the party will be fielding candidates who are free from corruption charges for the upcoming 2023 assembly elections in the state.

Pala told reporters that the prospect of the Congress is very good as most of its candidates are new to politics and most of them are out of corruption charges which is the talk of the people of Meghalaya.

“If we look from that angle the Congress will be the only party which has young and fresh faces, a combination of those who have been defeated. Be it in Khasi Hills and be it Garo Hills, I think we are the only party which will be fielding good candidates be it in terms of qualification and sincerity but you have to give us another 2-3 months’ time to field other seats. Our target is to field from all the 60 seats,”

Stating the party is gearing up the preparation for the upcoming polls, Pala said only 20-25 % of the constituencies is yet to be organized and the party is on the job.

“We have not yet finalized the candidates but we have prospecting candidates who are already on the ground. Finalization of the candidates will be done once the election is notified and we will call for applications,” he said.

According to him, the party has ticket aspirants in almost all the constituencies who are determined to fight the elections.

Also Read | Unholy nexus with BJP does not arise: Pala

He further informed that the party will also induct new comers from Laitumkhrah, Nongthymmai and Ri Bhoi on July 9.

With Congress suffering a huge setback after all 17 sitting MLAs left the party, Pala however said the voters never left the party and he is very confident that the voters will always be with the Congress.

On NPP leader Timothy D Shira’s allegation that the Congress will have to face bitterness in the upcoming polls, Pala said, “It does not depend on the MLAs, it depends on the voters. It is very easy to say this and say that but it is the voters who will take the final call.”

As to who will be the face of the party, the Congress chief, who is going to contest from Sutnga-Saipung constituency, said, “Man proposes, God disposes. I don’t know as we have not yet decided.

Normally, Congress doesn’t decide the candidate in advance except when we have a sitting CM.”

On the party’s stand on the NDA government’s decision to field a tribal woman as its presidential candidate, Pala said that the Congress high command will decide on the matter.

“When it comes to politics we don’t go by tribes, we don’t go by religion, we go by party line so whatever the party decides we will look into that,” he asserted.