Opp Congress to field candidate for Speaker’s post

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 23, 2019

SHILLONG: The opposition Congress on Friday announced its decision to field candidate for the Speaker’s post, election of which will be held in the upcoming autumn session of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. 

Talking to media persons, Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma said it is naturally expected that the sole opposition party with 19 members in the House in the true spirit of democracy must field our own candidate. 

“If there is no contest that means we do no give space for anybody and that is contrary to the spirit of democracy,” the former chief minister said.

Asked, Sangma informed that the party will soon sit to decide on the candidate for the top post. “Infact we have sat day before yesterday informally (to discuss on the issue),” he added. 

The autumn session of the Assembly will commence from September 6 to September 13. 

The election was necessitated after the death of former Assembly Speaker late Dr Donkupar Roy, who was also president of the United Democratic Party, which is the main ally of the National People’s Party (NPP)-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government.

The MDA however is yet to take a call on the issue but already rift within the coalition is imminent especially among the sub-alliances over the post. These are Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA) and the United Progressive Front (UPF).   

The RDA is comprises of the 10 MLAs including 8 from the UDP and 2 from the two Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP), while the UPF is having 6 MLAs from the People’s Democratic Front (PDF), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and one Independent.

Rejecting the UDP’s claim, PDF leader and cabinet minister Hamletson Dohling had earlier announced that the UPF will also project its own candidate before the MDA for its consideration. 

According to him, it is not right for the UDP to claim that the Speaker’s post should go to the party. He also advised the UDP to also propose its candidate and let the MDA takes the final call on who will be the best person for the post.