SHILLONG: Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee president Celestine Lyngdoh has rubbished speculations about a rift in the party following the debacle of the Congress in Shella bypoll.
“Just because we lost a by-poll, it does not mean that the Congress is down and out,” Lyngdoh said.
Stating that there is no rift in the party, he added that traditionally in Meghalaya, people vote for the candidate of the ruling side in by-elections.
The statement from Lyngdoh assumes significance as the Congress party has lost a string of by- elections in Meghalaya in recent times.
The critics of the party are pointing fingers at the CLP leader and former chief minister Mukul Sangma for the setbacks in the past elections and the MLAs are waiting for an opportune moment to leave the party as they see that their future is bleak under the current leadership both in Delhi and state.
Except for the Ampati bypoll in May last year, which saw Mukul’s daughter winning the seat vacated by him to retain Songsak after winning two seats in the Assembly polls, the Congress has not been able to win five other Assembly bypolls and the Tura Lok Sabha election.
Even senior Congress leader Ampareen Lyngdoh earlier had called for an urgent review of the party’s consecutive losses in the state by-elections. She also feared the debacles will have serious ramification for the party in the 2023 assembly elections if no course correction is done.
