Shillong, Jan. 25: At least four election-related cases filed against candidates in Meghalaya by their political opponents are pending with the returning officers and the election department.

The chief electoral officer, P. Naik, today said he had asked the East Garo Hills deputy commissioner, to examine the complaint filed by P.D. Sangma, former legislator against Congress candidate E.D. Marak. Sangma said Marak was using posters for campaign without the names of printers on them, thus violating the model code of conduct. The name of the printing press and the quantity of posters printed were also not mentioned, Sangma alleged.

Naik said necessary instructions have been issued to the authorities in the East Garo Hills to look into the matter. Another case pending with the East Khasi Hills deputy commissioner is on the tribal status of Waibha K. Kyndiah, against whom an NGO, Ka Seng Pit Kur Tip Kha U Khasi lodged a complaint alleging that Waibha was not a Khasi since he had not used his mother’s surname according to the matrilineal system. The deputy commissioner has fixed February 5 for hearing the complaint and a notice has already been issued to Waibha in this regard.

In Jaintia Hills, the deputy commissioner has issued a showcause notice to the chief executive member of Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council, H. Nongtdu, after some members of the district council belonging to the Congress were found using official vehicles of the council for campaign. The Congress legislator from Dalu, Samuel Sangma, landed up in trouble yesterday for the alleged violation of the model code of conduct by using an ambulance to ferry his supporters.

Unification move

The UDP today said social welfare minister Martle Mukhim, who is the MDP president, was a stumbling block to the unification efforts. “The MDP has become a one-man party and the party president has become an obstacle to the unification of both the parties,” UDP’s Bindo Lanong said. Three of the four MDP legislators have left the party.

and joined other political parties to contest the Assembly elections. While MDP legislators P.T. Sawkmie and D.P. Iangju joined the UDP, another legislator, Draison Kharshiing, will contest on a Congress ticket. However, despite legislators leaving the party, Mukhim had gone ahead with revamping the MDP and fielded as many as 15 candidates for the March 3 polls.

The MDP was formed in 2002 by a breakaway group of UDP legislators who protested against the construction of a Meghalaya House in Calcutta. These legislators aligned with the NCP and the Congress to form an alternative government in the state after the resignation of chief minister E.K. Mawlong over the Meghalaya House deal.

There were efforts from the UDP as early as in 2003 for a unification of both the UDP and the MDP to contest the last Assembly elections.

However, both the parties contested the elections separately and did not get the desired seats. After the results of 2003 Assembly elections, there was fresh initiative both by the UDP and the MDP for an early unification.

According to Lanong, a formal decision for unification was made in a meeting held at the residence of UDP president and deputy chief minister, Donkupar Roy, in 2005.