MDA partners to vote for NPP’s Dr Kharlukhi in RS polls: CM

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 17, 2020

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has expressed confidence that the MDA candidate Dr WR Kharlukhi will win the election to the lone Rajya Sabha seat on June 19.

“The writing on the wall is clear that we will win this election,” Sangma told reporters after convening a meeting of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance  on Wednesday night.

The chief minister said all coalition partners of the MDA except KHNAM legislator Adelber Nongrum have expressed their full support to the candidature of Dr Kharlukhi, who is the state president of the National People’s Party (NPP).

The opposition Congress is fielding its former legislator Kennedy Khyriem for the election.

Asked, Sangma said, “We respect the candidature of the opposition as they have the right to fight but in this particular battle and election, the support for Dr Kharlukhi is very clear and all partners have expressed that and we are confident that we are winning this election.”

The strength of MDA is 41 in the 60-member House.  

On Nongrum’s decision to abstain from voting in the Rajya Sabha polls, the chief minister however said, “Nongrum has been very clear on his stand and has gone to the press even before today’s meeting. That is his individual stand and therefore we respect those and he can take decisions as he wishes but all partners present will be supporting and voting for Dr Kharlukhi.”

On the other hand, Sangma said that the meeting was also meant to give training to MLAs on how to vote on the polling day. “Although it is a simple procedure but sometimes simple things can also go wrong so we want to ensure nothing goes wrong,” he said.