Shillong, Nov 30: The decision of Congress turned UDP MDC Ashahel D Shira to give his support to the Garo Hills Democratic Alliance (GHDA) headed by the NPP in Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) has dealt a fatal blow to the main opposition Congress party.

After coming on top in this year’s GHADC polls with 12 seats out of 29 contested constituencies, the Congress failed to get any other party to join hands with it to form a new Executive Committee.

Instead, the NPP with 11 seats formed a broad alliance of BJP (1 MDC), GNC (1 MDC) and 3 Independents to get a clear majority of 16 members.

On Tuesday, the NPP alliance of CEM Benedic R Marak has crossed the 17 number threshold after defecting Congress MDC from Batabari Ashahel D Shira, who went over to the UDP after being denied a Congress ticket to fight October’s Rajabala by-election, met with CEM Marak and Chairman Rakesh Sangma and formally gave a letter of support to the NPP alliance.“The UDP MDC Shira gave me and also the CEM separate letters extending support to the GHDA,” said Chairman Rakesh A Sangma. He said that with Shira’s support the alliance has an effective strength of 17 MDCs, not including himself who can only vote in the eventuality of a tie.

Shira’s joining the GHDA alliance comes after BJP MDC of Tura, Bernard Marak, had earlier also extended support to it.The current position in GHADC now stands with 11 NPP (including Chairman), 2 BJP, 1 GNC, 1 UDP and 3 Independents (total 18) out of 29 in a House of 30 seats. There is currently no nominated member (30th), but inside sources in the NPP indicate that a senior party functionary may soon be accommodated to that seat.

As the NPP rises from strength to strength in both the GHADC and even the state legislative assembly by dramatically winning two out of three by-elections last month (Rajabala and Mawryngkneng), for the opposition Congress, the Sonia Gandhi led national party is now staring at single digit figures after two of its senior most and influential leaders- Dr Mukul Sangma and Charles Pyngrope, cut their ties and crossed over to Mamata Banerjee’s All India Trinamool Congress, last week.

From a position of 17 MLAs to lead the state opposition party, the Congress now has the sad position of five fingers (MLAs) dislodging it from the position of leader of opposition and main opposition party in the legislature.

That coveted position of opposition leader and party has now been garlanded on Mamata Didi’s Trinamool Congress led by Mukul Sangma and Charles Pyngrope who have 12 MLAs on their side.