From Our Correspondent
TURA: The former Tura MDC John Leslee K Sangma, who obtained the largest share of Congress votes for selection as the party candidate for 51-South Tura constituency has raised objection over the sudden emergence of a rival for the ticket.
Congress sources revealed to The Shillong Times that the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has mooted the name of former Tura MLA Billykid A Sangma for South Tura seat in next year’s legislative assembly elections.
Following the revelation, Congress followers of John Leslee K Sangma have threatened to resign from the party in protest over what they term as an ‘illegal’ and ‘manipulative’ move by certain leaders of the party to push through their candidate violating party norms.
The former Tura MDC secured the support of 17 Congress primary committees (PCCs) of Tura against Billykid Sangma’s four PCCs in an internal election held among party workers. Voting by one PCC was termed invalid. Following the victory of John Leslee K Sangma in the internal party polls, the block level Congress recommended his name ahead of the September 15 deadline. At the time of the deadline, John Leslee K Sangma was reportedly the sole candidate to apply for the party ticket. Allegations have now surfaced that former Tura MLA Billykid A Sangma pushed through his candidature by applying for the party ticket on September 21, six days past deadline, allegedly by giving a back date.
The president of Congress BCC for 51-South Tura, Koruna A Sangma has written to the Tura City Congress highlighting the alleged discrepancies.
In her letter, Koruna A Sangma alleged that some Congress leaders had manipulated party paper work to push through Billykid Sangma’s candidature well past the party deadline.
“Under duress I ultimately gave my signature and wrote that the application paper (of Billykid) was received by me on September 15 whereas it was actually submitted to me on September 21,” revealed BCC president Koruna A Sangma in her letter to Tura city congress president Selma D Shira who is alleged to have turned a blind eye to the entire fiasco involving the political party.
The party supporters of John Leslee have, in the meantime, decided to approach the top brass of the MPCC in Shillong to apprise them of the situation and have not ruled out stepping down from the party in the event their grievances are not addressed.
The possible mass resignation of party workers at such a crucial step of the election process for the state polls could have long term implications for the party which has not won a Tura seat for the last three consecutive terms.