SHILLONG : Voice of the People Party (VPP) candidate for the upcoming Shillong Lok Sabha by-election, Dr. Batskhem Myrboh, has welcomed the decision of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) to grant him a No Objection Certificate (NOC), clearing the way for him to contest the parliamentary seat.
Dr. Myrboh, an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at NEHU and the party’s spokesperson, said he was pleased that the university’s Executive Committee had approved the NOC.
“I saw in the news and also the briefing made by the Vice Chancellor that the Executive Committee has decided to grant the NOC for me to contest the by-election. I’m very happy that ultimately the NOC has been granted, and I thank the authority of NEHU for taking this initiative,” he said.
With the administrative hurdle now cleared, the VPP leader said the party’s attention would remain on its own campaign instead of its political opponents. “We concentrate on our own politics and we know our own strength. We know our own strategies, and therefore I don’t see any threat, and we are confident of winning the election,” he said.
Dr. Myrboh said the VPP was not concerned about how many candidates enter the race or which parties decide to contest. “We are not looking at the number of the other candidates. We are not looking at who contests or who does not contest. We are looking at our own politics,” he added.
Speaking about the party’s support base, Dr. Myrboh said VPP supporters continue to back the party because of its principles, policies and commitment to clean politics. He said the party believes its message has continued to resonate with the public and expressed confidence that it would not only retain its existing supporters but also attract new voters during the by-election campaign.
According to Dr. Myrboh, the VPP has witnessed rapid political growth since its formation in 2021.
“Definitely the party has grown tremendously if you compare it to 2021 when we started. In a matter of a few years we have been able to win elections and also take the issues of the people forward,” he said.
Responding to claims made by political rivals about the party’s electoral prospects, Dr. Myrboh dismissed what he described as exaggerated assertions and said the by-election result would ultimately reflect the party’s actual strength.
“Those claims are exaggerated. We are able to attract new supporters, but we don’t want to exaggerate things. Let the results of the by-election speak for itself,” he said.