Shillong, Feb 16 : A number of party leaders from the Meghalaya Congress have applied for tickets for the Lok Sabha elections.

With five legislators and 15 members of district councils supporting him, senior Congress leader and party spokesman R.C. Laloo said he was keen to contest the parliamentary elections.

Talking to The Telegraph today, Laloo said he was open to the idea of contesting from Shillong constituency on a Congress ticket.

He, however, said it was upto the central party leaders to take a final decision.

Sitting MP and tribal affairs minister P.R. Kyndiah and former Meghalaya PCC president O.L. Nongtdu have expressed their desire to contest the elections.

During last year’s Assembly elections, the Congress had six legislators, including Laloo, from Jaintia Hills, which was the stronghold of the regional party, the UDP.

In the just-concluded district council elections in Jaintia Hills, the Congress emerged the single largest party, securing 15 seats out of 29.

The supporters of Laloo attributed the victory to the charisma of the Congress leader.

MPCC acting president Deborah Marak said the party had notified the timeframe for receiving applications from candidates who wished to apply for a party ticket for both the Shillong and Tura Lok Sabha seats.

The candidates could apply for a ticket from Monday and should complete the application process in two weeks.

Nongtdu said he would apply for the party ticket to contest the Shillong seat. Nongtdu, hailing from Shillong, had earlier served as Rajya Sabha MP. Nongtdu said he was also aware that Union minister Kyndiah would also contest the elections. He however, has left it to the AICC to take a final decision as far as the selection of candidates is concerned.

Kyndiah, a veteran Congress leader, had won the Shillong seat for the last two consecutive terms. The Congress is likely to prefer Kyndiah to any other party leader.

Moreover, Kyndiah who is over 80 years, is unlikely to contest again after the coming Lok Sabha elections because of his age.

The UDP, the coalition partner in the Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA), has already fielded social worker John Kharshiing its candidate. The UDP’s candidate is supported by other coalition partners, the NCP, KHNAM, HSPDP and BJP.

As a reciprocal approach, the MPA partners will support the NCP candidate for the lone Tura Lok Sabha seat. Sitting MP from Tura Agatha Sangma is likely to contest the Lok Sabha seat again from the NCP.
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