Tura, Oct 8: UDP candidate Ashahel D Shira on Friday filed his nomination papers before the Returning Officer C.N. Sangma at Tura DC office for the Rajabala bye-election.Shira, the incumbent MDC in GHADC from Rajabala and former MLA, was accompanied by Home Minister and UDP leader Lahkmen Rymbui, UDP MLAs Piush Marwein of Ranikor and Samuel Sangma of Baghmara to the DC office.

Pius Marwein MLA, Samuel Sangma MLA & I accompanied our UDP candidate from Rajabala Constituency ASHAHEL D SHIRA as he filed his nomination papers today as the candidate for the upcoming By-election from Rajabala Constituency.Request the voters of Rajabala to support him. DAMA O pic.twitter.com/8UotiPLbYp

— Lahkmen Rymbui (@LahkmenR) October 8, 2021

Talking to reporters after the filing of nomination, Rymbui said the party is confident of winning the Assembly seat as Shira is the sitting MDC from the constituency and is a former MLA from the same constituency. Shira was the MLA from Rajabala from 2013 to 2018. He lost the 2018 Assembly elections to Dr Azad Zaman.

“We have seen that in the MDC elections, the people again reposed their faith in him. So we from the UDP are very much confident,” he said.

He also added that their chances are better because the chief opposition Congress is in disarray. “We have seen the position of Congress in the state, there is so much of disunity,” he said.

Clash of interest

At the same time, he observed that Rajabala is a very unique constituency due to diversity in population, which poses many challenges for the representative. “That’s why they (people of Rajabala) need a representative who is from the government, who will try to solve their problems,” stressed Rymbui.

On the clash of interest with National People’s Party (NPP), which has also fielded their candidate from the constituency, the UDP leader said the two parties are working together in government but when it comes to the political goals, each is independent.

He also added that their aim is to bring development to the people of Rajabala.

HNLC threat

On threat issued by proscribed outfit HNLC, Rymbui said the police is on the job of doing what’s needed to be done and everything is in place.
“They will do the needful to see that there is free and fair election and also ensure safety and security of the people,” he said.