SHILLONG, Oct 18: Striking a defiant note following the mass defection of party legislators, the United Democratic Party (UDP) candidate for the Shillong parliamentary by-election, Vivanstone G. Kynta, on Sunday declared that neither desertions nor the Assembly Speaker’s ruling would deter him from contesting the seat, asserting that the party remains bigger than its elected representatives.
“I am not disheartened at all and I reiterate that the show goes on,” Kynta said, invoking Ekla Cholo Re to signal his resolve to forge ahead alone and seek the electorate’s mandate.
The senior advocate maintained that the UDP is sustained by its grassroots workers and loyal cadres, rather than its legislative strength in the Assembly. “Legislators may leave, but the party lives on in our hearts,” he said,
pointing out that the defecting MLAs had no bearing on his candidature.
Criticising the defections, Kynta remarked that voters had been taken for a ride, noting that such opportunism was unprecedented among previous generations of UDP leaders.
He added that he was not surprised by the Speaker’s decision recognising the merger of eight UDP legislators with the BJP, alleging that the national parties in power are “two sides of the same coin.”
Kynta also questioned the entry of businesspersons into politics, arguing that several were motivated by financial self-interest rather than public service.
Reaffirming his commitment to the campaign, the UDP candidate said he would not abandon the race over setbacks he did not create.
“As a senior advocate, I am no stranger to legal battles,” Kynta said, indicating his readiness to confront both political and legal challenges in the run-up to the by-election.