Staff Reporter

Shillong, July 2: The United Democratic Party (UDP) is yet to decide on whether to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections next year.

“When the party meet we will discuss. It is only when we come together as party leaders we will be able to decide (on this). As of now, we have not taken any decision as far as the MP election is concerned,” UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh said today.

Asked if he would again contest from the Shillong parliamentary seat, Mawthoh however said, “I have not taken a decision as of now. The party will have to take a decision on this.”

Mawthoh was the consensus candidate of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government from Shillong in 2019. He was defeated by sitting Congress MP Vincent H Pala.

“I managed to get up to 34 per cent vote share. I got 2.67 lakh votes. Had it not been for that Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) issue, I would have won the MP election last time,” he said.

“In 2009, Pala got 48 per cent vote share. In 2014, (his vote share again) dropped to 33 per cent and we thought in 2019 he will surely go down to 19-20 per cent but instead it shoot up due to CAB-CAA issue,” Mawthoh said adding that his name being linked to BJP-back MDA has affected his prospect to win the last MP election.

“In fact, I really had wanted to be in parliament to flag and articulate the issues of the state,” he added.

As far as the autonomous district councils in Khasi and Jaintia Hills are concerned, Mawthoh said that the central executive committee of the party had entrusted the core committee to workout the preparation for the ADC elections in the state.