Meghalaya: Mass defection to Congress ahead of KHADC elections

Guwahati: Ahead of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) elections in Meghalaya, a large number of members from the Umroi Constituency People's Forum (UCPF) are set to join the Congress party on Tuesday.

This move follows the recent announcement of MD Syiem, a former UCPF member, as the Congress candidate for Umroi Constituency.

According to Pynshngain N Syiem, working president of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), the UCPF members will formally join the party, bolstering Congress' chances in Umroi.

Syiem claimed that his switch to Congress was made with the full knowledge of UCPF's general body, with 32 members of the UCPF Executive Committee present during his alignment with the Congress on January 3.

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Meanwhile, former Umroi MLA George B Lyngdoh has decided to contest the elections as an independent candidate, after initially withdrawing from the race for the UCPF ticket.

Lyngdoh's decision came after MD Syiem defected to Congress, sidelining another UCPF leader, Arbinus Lyngdoh.

The newly formed Umroi Democratic Front (UDF) has rallied public support for Lyngdoh's candidacy, with hundreds of supporters pledging their backing at a public meeting on Friday.