Cong look for an acceptable-to-all solution
From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI: The crisis vertically dividing the Congress in Meghalaya seemed to be over, but the AICC and the State PCC are still trying to iron out the remaining differences so that the party can face the 2013 polls unitedly.
MPCC president, Dr Friday Lyngdoh arrived here on Monday night along with the loyalist Home Minister, HDR Lyngdoh. This assumes significance since the Chief Minister, Dr Mukul Sangma too arrived here from USA where he had gone on a private visit to attend his then ailing wife and all of them are likely to meet the AICC leaders.
Meanwhile, party president Sonia Gandhi called the AICC general secretary in-charge of the State Dr Dhaniram Shandil and enquired about the latest state of affairs in the wake of her meeting with both the factions and reaching a “mega patch-up” recently. Dr Shandil informed her about the situation, which is an improvement since most of the leaders have gone back and started working together, but this does not seem to be a lasting solution since nothing has been done about the four dropped ministers so far and a section of dissidents are still unhappy, party sources said.
Prestone Tynsong, one of the dissident leaders who faced the axe in a recent Cabinet reshuffle, is likely to make a comeback to fill up the 12th position in the State Cabinet.
When asked about the details of his meeting with Ms Gandhi, Dr Shandil evaded the same but said now the State unit of the party seems to be inching back on track. On the induction of the dropped ministers, the general secretary said it is up to the Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma and his predecessor DD Lapang to take a decision.
“Our main focus is on development and carrying on the flagship programmes of the UPA government in Meghalaya,” Dr Shandil said adding, “Only then we can go back to the people to get their verdict.”
Meanwhile, the Union Minister from the State Vincent H Pala, who came out unscathed in the latest Union Cabinet reshuffle, has also extended his help in sorting out the last remnants of the imbroglio in his party. As the lone Congress MP and Union Minister, he offered his helping hand to bring together the ever-warring sections of the state Congress. Earlier, the dissident group’s leader DD Lapang had said the four dissident ministers, who were dropped recently by Dr Sangma, are likely to be reinstated as part of the compromise deal arrived at by the two warring factions in the CLP. The former Chief Minister had drawn flak from some of the dissidents who said the patch-up decision was not authorised by all the dissident leaders.
Lapang had talked about a “formula” being worked out on the directive of Madam for the dropped ministers. The former Chief Minister had said she has directed her political secretary Ahmed Patel, AICC leader Oscar Fernandez and Dr Shandil to work out the mutually accepted solution but taking back all the four dropped ministers which seems very difficult since there is only one clear vacancy.
Meanwhile, two of the dropped Ministers — Prestone Tynsong, Augustine D Marak visited New Delhi and met several top AICC leaders. They are believed to have submitted the resolution signed by majority dissident legislators to the AICC leaders before leaving for Shillong earlier this week.
The other dropped Minister FW Momin had come out openly questioning Lapang’s decision to go to the high command without consulting his fellow colleagues. Momin among many other dissident Congress legislators including former Minister Sayeedullah Nongrum were absent from the meeting convened by Lapang after he returned from New Delhi following the patch-up.
Incidentally, the Speaker Charles Pyngrope whose name was proposed by some dissidents as the alternative leader also met some of the top AICC leaders here. He was on an official visit to the national capital.
Pala told the AICC leaders that there is an urgent need for an oganisational dialogue between various Congress leaders in the State.
“Consequent to removal of four ministers in the State Cabinet and induction of three new faces, it has become necessary to institute a process of dialogue and discussions amongst the senior Congress leaders in the State, to remove misgivings, misapprehensions and rancor,” he said in a letter to the AICC on his return from abroad on a private visit.
“Burying the past and working together shoulder to shoulder has become an indispensable imperative for reviving the Congress in the State especially well before the Monsoon Session of the Legislative Assembly in September to avoid possible repercussions,” Pala said. Such a course has also become inevitable since Congress cannot go to Assembly Elections just more than one year and a half away with heavy dissent and divisions amongst its ranks, he added.