Shillong, Jan 27: Sitting Rajya Sabha member from Meghalaya, Wansuk Syiem, on Monday filed her nomination papers to secure the second term in the upper house.
Syiem was accompanied by former chief minister and Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Party (MPCC) president DD Lapang, AICC secretary (in-charge Meghalaya) Vijaylakshni Sadho, State social welfare minister Deborah Marak beside party’s supporters .
Syiem filed her nomination paper before the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly secretary H Mylliemngap on Monday after the Congress re-nominated her name as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha.
Syiem told reporters in Shillong that she is looking forward to her second term in office.
Syiem became the first woman MP from the state to be elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha in April last year after T A Sangma resigned and contested unsuccessfully in the Assembly election.
Talking to media, Syiem said that even though her last tenure as Rajya Sabha MP was of only ten months but she had tried her level best to serve the people and the state.
“It is a learning year for me and now I am familiar with the parliamentarian procedures. Within a very short span of time on my own humble way I have been trying my best whatever I could do a little bit for the state within this time.”
Tuesday is the last date for filing nomination for the polls and the papers would be scrutinised the following day and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is Friday. Other parties in the Opposition were yet to decide on the candidate and in their likelihood of not fielding any candidate, Syiem would be elected unopposed.
The nomination papers would be scrutinized on January 29, while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is January 31.
The Congress has 29 legislators, including the Speaker A T Mondal. The Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance(MUA-II) was backed by two NCP legislators, 11 Independents MLAs and an MLA of the North East Social Democratic Party (NESDP).
The Opposition Meghalaya People’s Front (MPF) comprises of the United Democratic Party (UDP) with eight legislators, the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) with four legislators, two legislators from the National People’s Party (NPP), two Independents and one from the Garo National Council (GNC).(SP News)
