NDPP fronts Noke’s protégé Wangpang in Tapi bye-poll

October 18, 2023 16 Views No Comment

Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 18

The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) will field a greenhorn in the bye-election to the 43 Tapi Assembly seat scheduled on November 7. The Tapi seat fell vacant in August, this year, after the demise of the veteran regionalist Noke Wangnao, who held the seat for 9 terms— 1974, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1989, 2003, 2013, 2018 and 2023.

The NDPP ticket was handed to 39 year-old Wangpang Konyak, said to be the late Wangnao’s protégé, at the party headquarters in Chümoukedima on October 17.

The party’s President and PDA Chairperson, Chingwang Konyak, described Wangpang as competent of taking over Wangnao’s reins. With a Masters degree in Political Science, Wangpang was a Superintendent in the Department of New & Renewable Energy and was serving as Wangnao’s private secretary since 2013, reportedly on “attachment.” He did his bachelors at St Anthony’s College, Shillong and Masters from NEHU.

According to Chingwang, NPF candidate in the February Assembly polls, Wanglem Konyak, from the same seat had also lobbied for the NDPP ticket, while the name of wife of the late Wangnao as a potential candidate also did the rounds.

Wanglem, hurt by the perceived cold-shouldering, looked to the Congress, which welcomed and fronted him as the party’s candidate for the bye-election. To Wanglem’s credit, he got 39.5 percent of the vote share in the Tapi seat in the February polls, to Wangnao’s 40.1 percent, which translated into Wangnao winning by a thin margin of 82 votes.

Minister of Forests, Environment and Climate Change, CL John, who was also present at the function, said that Wanglem’s name as the NDPP’s candidate was finalised only on Tuesday morning.

The candidate, Wangpang, said that he was associated with Noke for the last 15-16 years and was a loyal supporter and voter for the NDPP. He said that he looked up to Noke for his integrity and commitment to the regional party and was further attracted to the NDPP’s alleged commitment to inclusivity and meritocracy. He said that though he was not involved in party activities, he learnt a lot under Noke and was looking forward to replicate the NDPP motto in his work.

Later responding to media queries, he described his plan as “focusing on development and continuing the legacy of Noke.” He revealed that he recently resigned from the government job he was holding. “I really don’t think this has happened as far as I am concerned,” was his comment on cash-for-votes.