From Our Correspondent
NONGPOH: After being ignored and sidelined by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) top brass, a senior leader of a local block Committee has resigned from the party with an open mind of joining another political party.
According to sources, Indrish Maring, the working president and Vicco Syiem secretary of the Jirang Block NCP Committee, 15 leaders and more than 5000 supporters of the NCP on Thursday resigned from the party.
Confirming his resignation to this scribe, Maring said that the decision was taken at the general body meeting held on 24th March this year under the chairmanship of Syiem where they unanimously decided to resign from the party as they were disillusioned with style of functioning of the party.
He also asserted that Syiem along with the 15 leaders and supporters will be joining a new political party. “I will be taking the call of joining another party very soon” Maring said.
Maring had joined the NCP in 2007 and visited every nook and corner of Jirang constituency to form party units and is thus the forerunner in strengthening the party in Jirang assembly constituency
He was, however, sidelined by NCP general secretary and Tura MLA Purno A Sangma, Union Minister of State for Rural Development, Agatha Sangma, Leader of Opposition Conrad Sangma, NCP State President Dr. W R Kharlukhi among others in the NCP Jirang Block Rally held on 3rd March this year at Killing, Ri Bhoi District.
In the meeting, the top leaders of the party gave undue importance to new comer S Sohtun, the former president of Ri Bhoi Youth Federation (RBYF) Byrnihat Circle who is likely to get the party ticket from Jirang Constituency. Sohtun was also accorded a seat in the front row along with the top party leaders while Maring was seated a row behind them.
The efforts put in by Maring seemed to have been ignored by the party top leadership where over two thousands supporters raised up placards stating, “We support Indrish Maring as NCP candidate from Jirang during the rally.”
Maring had sponsored Laborious Manik Syiem in the last general assembly election although he was defeated by JD Rymbai of the UDP. Maring intended to contest the next assembly election on his own and for which he even sought ticket from the NCP.