Shillong, Dec 21: HSPDP leader and cabinet minister Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar feels that the downfall of Congress in the state, especially the exit of 12 legislators to join All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), should not be blamed on Vincent H Pala, the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president and Shillong MP. However, he expects the Shillong MP to devise a policy to see that more leaders don’t leave the party before the 2023 Assembly elections.
“Yes it is a very difficult time for the Congress. It is unfortunate for Pala. But I don’t think that this had happened due to him,” Tongkhar told journalists on Monday.
At the same time, hinting that more Congress MLAs may jump to other parties before the Assembly elections, he advised, “He (Pala) should have a strategy if he wants to ensure that all the five MLAs will contest from the Congress in 2023.”
He said it is but natural for the remaining five MLAs to doubt if the Congress will be able to come back to power after 12 of 17 MLAs have left to join a new political party.
“It is too early to say (whether the five MLAs will be contesting from the Congress) but it will depend on the strategy of the president,” Tongkhar said while asserting the need to give them hope that the party will be able to bounce back to power in 2023.
12 MLAs led by former chief minister Dr. Mukul Sangma have recently quit the Congress and merged with the AITC. However, the ruling of the Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh is awaited in view of the Congress’ petition seeking the disqualification of the 12 MLAs as per the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
