SHILLONG : The National People’s Party (NPP) on Thursday officially announced Khasi Authors’ Society president Dr DRL Nonglait as its candidate for the upcoming Shillong Lok Sabha by-election during a massive party gathering attended by over 10,000 supporters.
Announcing the candidature, Chief Minister and NPP national president Conrad K Sangma expressed strong confidence that the party would emerge victorious in the election, describing Dr Nonglait as the “best” candidate for the constituency.
“I don’t think any political party can have a better candidate than Dr DRL Nonglait,” Sangma said while addressing party workers and supporters.
He described Dr Nonglait as a humble and dedicated leader who believes in action rather than words.
“A person who believes that it is deeds that matter more, a person who has walked the talk, a person who has proved himself and a person who believes in uniting our people and not dividing them,” Sangma stated.
The Chief Minister further said that the NPP sees the election as a crucial opportunity and urged party workers to intensify grassroots campaigning in every village and polling station across the Khasi-Jaintia region.
“With him as our candidate, I believe this is our moment. We will win this election,” he said.
Welcoming Dr Nonglait into the party fold, Sangma credited him and the Khasi Authors’ Society for their contribution toward securing official language recognition for Khasi and Garo in Meghalaya.
“Because of you and the Khasi Authors’ Society and Achik Society, today Khasi and Garo are official languages,” he said.
Sangma also revealed that the party had initially prepared the venue for around 3,000 people, but the turnout crossed 10,000 attendees, which he described as a clear indication of growing public support for Dr Nonglait and the NPP.
The NPP president also took a swipe at opposition parties, accusing them of indulging in divisive politics while asserting that the NPP believes in unity, development and harmony among communities.
“Here there is a political party that believes in humanity, that believes in loving all communities, that believes in uniting our people and taking our state forward in the path of development,” he said.
Praising Dr Nonglait’s academic and social contributions, Sangma said the Khasi Authors’ Society president had become a symbol of perseverance, constitutional struggle and non-violence.
“Dr Nonglait has set an example of commitment, perseverance and non-violence. He proved that if intentions are right and determination is unshakable, goals can be achieved,” he added.
The Chief Minister also linked Dr Nonglait’s candidature to the long-standing demand for inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
“I believe his work is only half done. It is through Dr Nonglait that we will be able to take the demand for Khasi and Garo languages to Parliament and push for inclusion in the Eighth Schedule,” Sangma said.
Highlighting the benefits of having a Member of Parliament aligned with the ruling government, Sangma appealed to voters of the Khasi and Jaintia region to support the NPP for stronger coordination with the Centre.
Reflecting on the party’s journey over the last decade, Sangma said the NPP had grown stronger because of unity within the party and dedication toward public service.
He also urged party leaders and workers to avoid internal conflicts and maintain a positive approach during the election campaign.
“There are times when we point fingers at each other. Let us refrain from that and ensure every word spoken about our leaders, colleagues, party and government is positive,” he said.