By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Congress party is putting itself into serious trouble by continuing to hold elections at the primary unit level for recommending candidates from various constituencies.
The decision of the MPCC to hold the elections at the primary unit level has already impacted the party with divisions emerging among the party supporters which is evident in the Mawthadraishan Block Congress Committee (MBCC).
The MBCC is split in its choice between two strong contenders for the party ticket – Congress MDC Irin Lyngdoh and West Khasi Hills District Congress Committee president Boldness L Nongum.
There are several other block Congress committees which are facing similar crisis like the MBCC.
In Nongkrem constituency, party workers are divided between former MDP legislator from Nartiang Draison Kharshiing and sitting Congress MDC Lambor Malngiang.
“Holding of elections in different units has not only brought division among the ticket aspirants but it has also created differences among the party workers of the different block Congress committees,” party sources said on Thursday.
Despite the direction from the AICC to stop holding grassroots level elections, there has been no effort from the State Congress leadership to end the same.
Party sources are of the opinion that the crisis would not be over even after allocation of tickets is finalized since resentment among the supporters of the ‘deprived’ ticket seeker would continue.
“It is confirmed that the party supporters would leave the party to support their leader who is denied the ticket and decided to contest the election on his own,” the party sources said, adding that this would lead to a division in the Congress votes which would go against the interest of the party.
Earlier, MPCC president DD Lapang had admitted that party’s chances of winning the elections would go down if two party leaders decide to contest against each other in any of the constituencies. While questioning the process of holding elections, the party sources revealed that that there are several constituencies especially in East Khasi Hills where the DCC was not able to hold elections.
The East Khasi Hills DCC was forced to call off the election for the primary unit in Pynursla constituency following tension among the party workers, the sources revealed.
Forest and Environment Minister Prestone Tynsong who is also the president of EKHDCC and former Nongshken legislator KK Dkhar are the two ticket aspirants in Pynursla constituency.
Meanwhile, party sources also questioned the decision of the DCC to hold elections in a few primary units on more than one occasion.
The East Khasi Hills DCC recently held fresh election in Shella Block Congress Committee to recommend the name of party candidate who would contest from the constituency.
The decision to hold the election for the second time was disliked by many party supporters, sources said.
In both the elections, senior party leader Leston Wanswett had won by a huge margin and had emerged as the official nominee for the party ticket, the sources added.
‘It looks like certain party leaders in the DCC are trying to make money by holding elections at the primary units,” the party sources alleged.
Meanwhile, party sources said that the process followed in the past was better when the Block Congress Committees would recommend the names of candidates to the DCC without any election.
“The members of the BCC would gracefully accept the candidate finalised by the AICC following the recommendations of the MPCC,” a senior Congress leader said.
Some party leaders have appealed to the MPCC to go back to the system followed in the past.