Gavin M Mylliem elected as new PDF chief, says party to soon decide on action against 2 MLAs

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 20, 2022

Sohra legislator Gavin Miguel Mylliem on Saturday was elected as the new president of the People’s Democratic Front (PDF), just six months ahead of the 2023 assembly elections in the state.

Along with Mylliem, cabinet minister Banteidor Lyngdoh was also elected as working president of the new central executive committee (CWC) during the Triennial Conference held at Mawkhar here.

PDF has four MLAs in the 60-member Assembly.

However, the other two MLAs of the party – Hamletson Dohling (Mylliem) and Jason  S Mawlong (Umsning) – have decided to skip the conference even as the party has decided to soon take a call on the matter.

Speaking to reporters, Mylliem said the conference has discussed how to strengthen and prepare the party for the 2023 polls.

“We will soon decide on the number of seats that we will be putting up candidates,” he said while adding the decision will be based on the winnability factor.

On the allegation that the two MLAs of the party are likely to join other political parties, the newly elected president said the party had already sent information to them about the triennial conference but they did not turn up. “Therefore, the genuine answer you will be getting from them,” he said.

He said Hamletson Dohling was the working president and Jason S Mawlong was the vice president in the old CWC of the party.

“They were with us in all the meetings held till June but after the CWC we had from July till this month, they did not attend the meeting so the correct answer or information you will get from them,” he said.

When asked if the party will issue show cause to the two MLAs, Mylliem said, “The new CWC will be having a meeting in the next few days and I think we will decide on the future course of action in the next meeting.”

He however informed that the party had already formed the zonal committees in Mylliem as well as Umsning constituencies.

“Regard contesting from these two seats we will be convening the central election committee in the coming months and will be deciding on the matter,” he said.

Admitting that the PDF is a small party, Mylliem however said though Meghalaya has big parties but they required the support of small parties like the PDF to form the MDA government in 2018.

“The party has entrusted us with the main priority to serve the people of the state. Of course, even if it is a big party or small party, we as MLAs are here to serve the people,” he said.

Lauding the efforts of the MDA government to resolve the long pending boundary dispute with Assam, the Sohra legislator said “Of course I would like to appreciate the MDA government, which we are part of, at least we are moving forward. Right from the time we got our statehood, we could see in every election, the candidates came out with the main agenda that they want to solve the border issue.

People want a solution to this long pending border dispute but at the end of the day whatever decision the government takes, there will always be some merits and demerits – at least the government is taking things forward and we expect that the result will be good.”