NPP to contest district council polls with UDP

Opposition National Peoples Party (NPP) in Meghalaya will contest the coming Autonomous District Council elections in Khasi and Jaintia Hills along with United Democratic Party (UDP).
A committee headed by NPP president W R Kharlukhi would negotiate on behalf of the party with UDP on the constituencies that the party would put up candidates, party spokesman James K Sangma told reporters today.
The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC), each having 29 seats will go to poll on February 24.
NPP condemned the decision of the state government to hold the KHADC and the JHADC separately from that of the GHADC whose term has been extended by another six months.

"This is a discriminatory move on the part of the Congress government denying the KHADC and the JHADC of an opportunity to increase the number of seats through delimitation and creating a divide and rule between the tribes," Sangma said.
The party's state executive meeting last night decided not to field a candidate in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Shillong parliamentary seat and instead work with likeminded parties to ensure Congress' defeat.

"The NPP which was in favour of a common candidate supported by all non-congress political parties also resolved to make every effort to bring about this consensus," he said.

On the party candidate from Tura parliamentary constituency, he said the party is seeking opinion all party workers and the public on the candidate.
Sangma's sister Agatha Sangma was elected an MP from Tura on an NCP ticket.