Meghalaya polls: former cop, militant to try luck

Thirty-nine-year-old Kenndy C Khyriem shed his uniform to contest as Congress candidate from Nongspung constituency in East Khasi Hills district. Another candidate, Dilsang Marak, had also given up guns and is now seeking re-election from Rongseng constituency in Garo Hills district. For 19 years, Khyriem donned the khaki uniform until he decided to give up when he reached the rank of sub-inspector in the Meghalaya Police last year. The strangest thing about Khyriem entering electoral politics was that it was not him, but the people in his place of posting in Mawngap who decided he must contest the upcoming March 3 Assembly election.

On October 11 last year, the Nongspung Coordination Committee — consisting of leaders from the constituency — convened a public meeting. The 3,000-strong meeting unanimously decided that Khyriem must contest the Assembly polls as a Congress candidate. That Khyriem was from Nongspung helped in arriving to this decision. Congress allotted Khyriem the ticket. State Congress president O L Nongtdu said: “It is rare to come across a policeman who is also a social worker.”