Congress MP Pala files nomination in Shillong

Shillong, March 22 (IANS) Sitting Congress MP Vincent H. Pala on Friday filed his nomination papers for the Shillong parliamentary constituency, seeking a third straight term in the Lok Sabha.

Meghalaya has two Lok Sabha constituencies -- Shillong and Tura -- that will go to the polls on April 11.

Pala, 51, who was a Union Minister in the Congress-led UPA government, asserted that his party would return to the power.

"There is no doubt that the Congress will return to power as the BJP has lost control in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Chhattisgarh and even in southern states. Its (BJP) allies are also running away from the party," he said.

"There will be no way that the BJP will retain power except if they plant a bomb in jungle or kill some people or raise some other issue to win the election. But even that will not help them to translate the situation into votes," Pala said.

The engineer-turned-politician was confident that voters of Shillong will elect him for the third straight term as he ensured development in the region.

"I don't want to blow my own trumpet but I have brought development to the state in terms of roads, infrastructure and the Shillong airport besides other developmental activities in various sectors," Pala said.

If elected to the Lok Sabha, the Congress candidate said he would focus on education including skill development to create job avenues, besides further improving the physical and digital connectivity.

The total number of candidates who have filed their nomination for the Shillong seat has reached four including Khun HynAiewtrep National Awakening Movement's T.H.S. Bonney and United Democratic Party's Jemino Mawthoh. Kennedy Khyriem filed his nomination papers as a standby candidate of Pala.