Shillong: The Regional Democratic Alliance is falling apart. The HSPDP just pulled its support for Vivanstone G Kharngapkynta, the UDP candidate for the Shillong by-election. This collapse leaves the regional front in total disarray.
UDP general secretary Titosstarwell Chyne said his party was "taken by surprise" by the move. They had spent weeks talking about a common strategy. Now, the RDA looks more like a social club than a political machine.
The fight boils down to ego and election symbols. The HSPDP wanted to run under its own Lion symbol. They refused to campaign for the UDP’s Drum symbol because they feared losing their identity. When the UDP moved ahead, the HSPDP bailed.
Chyne claimed the alliance remains intact, but they failed their biggest test. The HSPDP refused to tell its followers how to vote. This leaves the Khasi and Jaintia Hills vote wide open. That massive split hands a clear win to the national parties or the NPP. The UDP now has to decide if the RDA is even worth saving.
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