Congress leader and former chief minister, Mukul Sangma said his party would soon take a call on the issue related to fielding a candidate for the Mawryngkneng seat.
“We will be sitting again because some negotiation and discussion within the Congress is on. We will have to look at how the whole thing unfolds and decide upon what is the best way to fill up the vacancy post the demise of our colleague,” Sangma told reporters on Friday.
The seat fell vacant after the death of sitting legislator (L) David A Nongrum on February 2. However, his father Charles Pyngrope, also an MLA from Nongthymmai, had announced the family’s decision not to contest the upcoming bye-election.
Asked, Sangma admitted that the substantial desire coming from the electorates was the possibility of having somebody from the family as the candidate of the party.
“Rather those are part of the discussion which is going on. Our party functionaries are engaged in the discussion, so hopefully we will take a call based on what ultimately unfolds after this discussion,” he said. Earlier, Pyngrope had informed that the party was likely to field Highlander Kharmalki as its candidate for retaining the Mawryngkneng seat. Decision on this regard however is yet to be finalized.
It may be mentioned here that Kharmalki had unsuccessfully contested and came second in the 2018 Assembly polls from Mawrynkneng constituency on a PDF ticket.
Meanwhile, the ruling National People’s Party is fielding sitting MDC from Sohryngkham and KHADC chairman, Pyniaid Sing Syiem for the bye-election.
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