SHILLONG, July 19: Today the HSPDP speaking to media person at the Shillong Press Club accept the offer by the Mr H. S Shylla United Democratic Party (UDP) candidate for an open debate and asked the former CEM to fix for the date from an open debate.
Nongkrem HSPDP secretary and prime candidate for the MDC by-elections from Nongkrem, Hubert Riang said, “We are ready for the open debate challenge and he (Shylla) can call us at anytime to debate on the five issues
The Nongkrem HSPDP has also rubbished the allegations labelled against their party president Ardent M Basaiawmoit with regards to the MLA scheme in which Shylla has accused him of using the MLA scheme to buy votes.
Countering the allegations made by Shylla, he said, “The MLA from Nongrem has always distributed the MLA scheme to the people of the constituency and he has never done it before the elections and this is the reason why the people of the constituency have elected him as their representative for the past 8 years.”
He also rubbished the allegations made by Shylla who had stated that the people of Nongkrem constituency are currently under ‘president rule’ after HSPDP leader Basiawmoit was elected as their representative.
“If we look at the encroachment of MUDA issue it was Basiawmoit who stepped forward and took on the issue to the state government and it was because of him from 174 sq km, MUDA had to reduce it to 50 sq km,” he said.
He further stated that HSPDP is not keen to have any pre-poll alliance under the banner of the BJP led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) but will contest the upcoming 2018 state elections on its own.
The Nongkrem HSPDP has slammed the UDP candidate (Shylla) for the MDC by-polls for retracting from his earlier statements that he is done with politics and will instead continue which his religious activities.
Recalling past incidents involving Shylla, the HSPDP secretary said, “In the year 2008 before Shylla contested the elections he distributed livestock to the people of however after losing the elections he recollected the livestock’s and to us this is pure revenge on his part for losing the election
