The United Democratic Party (UDP) and the Hill State People Democratic Party (HSPDP) today reconstituted the Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA) to jointly prepare for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, slated to be held in 2024.

The RDA meeting held on Tuesday nominated UDP chief Metbah Lyngdoh as its chairman, HSPDP chief KP Pangniang as secretary, HSPDP’s senior leader and MDC from Mawkynrew Martle Mukhim as co-chairman and UDP East Khasi Hills president Titosstarwell Chyne as assistant secretary.

Speaking to reporters, Lyngdoh said, “We are pleased to note that both the parties have agreed in principle to ensure that the RDA is still intact and to continue to work for the interest of the party.”

“We have also decided to have 11 more members, who will be nominated by both the parties,” he said.

The UDP chief said in the past, the two regional political parties have been working together and the reconstitution of the RDA was as decided in a meeting held on May 30, after the 2023 Assembly election.

Lyngdoh said the other issues including the candidates for the Lok Sabha election will be discussed in the next meeting of the RDA to be held shortly. He said that the next meeting would also discuss and take a call on the upcoming MDC elections to the KHADC and JHADC.

Pangniang informed that the meeting also decided that the six members would be nominated from the UDP and five from the HSPDP in order to have a full body of office bearers of the RDA.

He said the two political parties have discussed at length on the need for each party to take a call on how to proceed ahead with the preparation for the MP elections under the umbrella of the RDA.

“We have in today’s meeting decided that we will inform each and every member of the HSPDP and UDP that we will restrengthen this alliance and we will also discuss the preparation of the MP election by having internal discussion by each party,” he added.

The HSPDP chief said that both parties will identify the candidate for the Shillong seat and propose the same before the RDA to take a collective decision on the matter.