Shillong: Vivan G. Kharngapkynta, the United Democratic Party candidate for the Shillong parliamentary by-election, wants to overhaul the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. He argues that elected officials must resign and face voters again if they switch parties mid-term. He views the current system as broken.
"If I am elected as an MP this time, I will take up this issue in Parliament so that MPs and MLAs cannot leave their parties until the end of their term. If they want to leave the party, they should first resign and seek the mandate of the people again. The post of an MP or MLA should not be treated as a business," Kharngapkynta said. He believes this small correction would stop politicians from betraying their electorate.
The candidate faces a landscape shifted by the departure of eight UDP legislators to the BJP. He claims this does not hurt his chances. He pointed to the 2024 Lok Sabha election, where VPP candidate Dr. Ricky AJ Syngkon won with four MLAs, while the UDP candidate lost despite holding 14. He refuses to view the defections as a personal betrayal, noting that voters, not MLAs, decide elections.
Kharngapkynta also blasted the delay in the by-election, which was triggered by the February death of MP Ricky AJ Syngkon. Under Section 151(A) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the vote should have happened within six months. He suspects a conspiracy by the NPP-BJP combine to stall the process using the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
The Election Commission recently moved the final roll publication date from October 21 to October 26. Kharngapkynta called the move suspicious after officials questioned his own voter credentials. He demanded an immediate halt to the revision to prioritize the by-election. He dismissed the need for costly, large-scale rallies, relying instead on his history as a lawyer and former Khasi Students’ Union leader to reach voters.
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