ShillongS, 26 October (H.S.): Former National

People’s Party (NPP) state president and former Rajya Sabha MP Wanweiroy

Kharlukhi has extended his support to Congress candidate Vincent H Pala for the

upcoming Shillong Lok Sabha by-election, adding a new dimension to the

political contest in Meghalaya.

Kharlukhi, who

resigned from the NPP on August 24 citing differences within the party, has

clarified that his decision to support Pala does not mean he is joining the

Congress. His move comes amid changing political equations in the state, with

several parties preparing for a keenly contested election to the Shillong

parliamentary seat.

Kharlukhi’s

support is significant given his long association with the NPP and his role in

strengthening the party’s organisation in Meghalaya. He served as the party’s

state president and was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2020, with his term

ending in June this year.

His decision to

back Pala could provide the Congress candidate with additional political

support, although the extent to which it translates into votes remains to be

seen. Kharlukhi’s departure from the NPP had triggered speculation about

internal differences and his position within the party.

The Shillong

parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of sitting Voice of the

People Party (VPP) MP Ricky Andrew J Syngkon on February 19 this year. Syngkon

suffered a sudden cardiac arrest after collapsing while playing football in

Shillong.

Syngkon’s

victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections ended Pala’s three-term tenure as

Shillong MP and marked a major breakthrough for the VPP. The by-election will

test whether the party can retain the seat and consolidate its growing

political influence in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills.

The by-election

is shaping up as a multi-cornered contest, with the Congress, VPP, NPP and

United Democratic Party (UDP) having announced their candidates. The Bharatiya

Janata Party (BJP) is also preparing to field a candidate, although it has yet

to finalise a name.

The Congress

has fielded Pala, a former Union minister and the president of the Meghalaya

Pradesh Congress Committee, who is seeking to return to Parliament after losing

to Syngkon in 2024.

The VPP has

nominated Dr Batskhem Myrboh, a professor at North-Eastern Hill University

(NEHU), to defend the seat won by the party in the last general election. The

party will seek to capitalise on the public support it demonstrated in 2024 and

its subsequent electoral performance in the Khasi Hills.

The NPP has

fielded Dr D R L Nonglait, an NEHU academic and president of the Khasi Authors’

Society. Nonglait has identified the demand for inclusion of the Khasi language

in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, implementation of the Inner Line

Permit (ILP), coal mining, tourism, agriculture and livelihood concerns as key

priorities.

The UDP has

selected senior advocate V G K Kynta as its candidate, with the Hill State

People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) backing him as the common candidate of the

regional alliance.

The BJP, which

supported the NPP candidate in the 2024 Lok Sabha election rather than fielding

its own nominee, is expected to enter the contest this time. However, the party

has not yet announced its candidate. A separate BJP candidature could complicate

the electoral calculations for the NPP, with which it shares power in the

Meghalaya government.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhijit Deb