AICC yet to decide on rift between CM and CEM
SHILLONG: Delay on the part of both the High Court of Meghalaya and the Election Commission of India to decide on the dual post issue is posing a hurdle for the AICC to find an early solution to the rift between Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and KHADC Chief Executive Member P.N. Syiem.
The High Court had recently deferred the dual post case as it was awaiting the report of the Election Commission.
However, the Bill preventing dual posts passed by the Congress led Government on October 1 last year has turned out to be ineffective since the KHADC CEM is yet to resign as MDC.
A Congress source said on Sunday that despite the violation of the dual post Act, the State government is finding it difficult to take any action against Syiem, as the last word is yet to come from AICC.
In December last year, the CEM had met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi apprising them about the problems which had cropped up following the dual post Bill passed by the government.
The chief minister is yet to meet the Congress president and the vice president to explain the government’s position.
However, a party leader added that the AICC wants to go slow on the matter as it wanted to act only after the pending court case is disposed of.
AICC general secretary in charge Meghalaya V. Narayanasamy during his meeting with the KHADC CEM and others in Shillong last year could not come to any conclusion on the action plan due to be chalked out following the passing of the dual post Bill.
Syiem, while ruling out his resignation as MDC, had explained to the AICC leader that since he was elected by the people it was difficult to go against his electorates.
He had also apprised Narayanasamy about the lack of consultations by the chief minister with the party MLAs and MDCs before giving nod to the Bill.
In the meeting of the Congress co-ordination committee held in October last in Shillong, differences were evident between the chief minister and the CEM, and even the meeting could not iron out the issues.
Commenting on the dual post issue, the KHADC chief said on Sunday that he was awaiting the report from the Election Commission.