Shillong, Feb 11: The Congress in Meghalaya is anguished with its MLAs lending their support to the ruling MDA coalition and this was evident in the way Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Vincent H Pala didn’t mince his words when talking about the party legislators. He also made it clear that the party is prepared in the eventuality that all the 5 legislators decide to leave the party ahead of the 2023 state assembly polls.

“Whether they contest (from the Congress) or not, we are also not fools, we also know in advance who is who and what is what,” he told reporters here on Friday after a party meeting.

Stating that the Congress is prepared to face the challenges ahead, Pala said, “We are preparing our ground (for the upcoming Assembly polls). Honestly, I also know who is going to fight from us and who is not going to fight from us, so we should not be bothered about that because we are ready. We have a team and we are ready for that.”

He also maintained that the legislators, who have left as well as those intended to leave the party, have never complained to him or to anybody that there is something wrong in the party.

“When Mukul left he gave his own statement, when Ampareen left she gave her own statement,” he said while maintaining that to say that he had taken decisions alone is wrong.

MLAs joined MDA for monetary and personal gain

On the reasons for the party MLAs supporting the MDA, he said, “I was also talking to Ampareen and she told me that we cannot afford to stay in the opposition, that’s the main reason (they joined the government).”

Pala said that it is not a question of infighting in the party as the support extended by the five MLAs to the MDA government was for their own interest, own plan and own vision.

“It is monetary plus personal gain because they said if they stay in the opposition they will not get schemes, they will not get this and that and whatever,” he added.