Shillong, Feb 15: The Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has thrown a fresh challenge to its 5 legislators by suspending from the party for supporting the NPP-led state government and they are put in a spot to additionally reply to the show cause served to them.

Reacting to this, CLP leader Ampareen Lyngdoh said the five MLAs will soon sit to discuss on an action and a path forward.

Lyngdoh said that as per the show cause notice issued by the party on Monday, the five legislators have been given 10 days of time to submit their replies. Refusing to comment further, she said, “We will revert back to all of you in 12 days.”

Lyngdoh along with four other MLAs – Mayral Born Syiem, Mohendro Rapsang, Kim S. Marbaniang and PT Sawkmie were put under suspension after their support to the MDA government was taken as anti-party activity.

Confusion on anti-party criteria

When asked, the CLP leader however said, “There seems to be a little confusion…because it was only mentioned that there was an anti-party omission by the 5 and it never dwelt at length specifying what the quantification of this so-called suspension was.”

Whether they would withdraw support to the MDA, the East Shillong MLA said that the five legislators will take a collective decision on the matter.

If they would consider merging with other political parties, the CLP leader said, “We do not want to disclose because when you have been served with the suspension notice, then you try your best to ensure that whatever you say can or cannot go against you.”

Cong MLAs joined MDA due to NPP 

On the BJP’s allegation that they have accepted its ideology by joining the MDA, Lyngdoh said, “We do not accept anybody’s ideology except that of the MDA and its lead partner that is the NPP, they may have their own perception of this ideology that they ‘so called’ because it is actually not in the purview of the group of 5 to decide on the extent of this ‘so-called’ command. So we are not going to react to that because at the end of the day we look at the coalition partners lead partner which is the NPP and we thought that it would be in the fitness of things to be part of government in this last leg prior to 2023. So other parties can see what they want, we are not even in authority to respond to that question.”