From CK Nayak
New Delhi: Internal bickering rather than winability was the cause that led to the dropping of as many five top sitting legislatures from the Congress list of candidates for the coming Assembly polls in Meghalaya which was released on Sunday night.
Former MPCC president Friday Lyngdoh was too old to contest but was also sulking after he resigned under unceremonious circumstances. Augustine Marak was under the impression that a section of the party would sabotage his chances this time so he chose not to apply for the party ticket.
Community and Rural Development Minister Saleng Sangma, the most prominent face who was dropped and sitting MLA Samuel Sangma were not in good terms with Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma who dominates Garo Hills as his forte. But Abdus Saleh lost in the race despite vacating his seat for Mukul’s wife at Mahendrajang precisely for the opposite reason.
Saleh who is a close aide of Mukul was eyeing the Rajabala seat which was declared as a general seat. But the incumbent legislator Saydullah Nongrum, a former Cabinet Minister, though a tribal, put down his foot till the end of the battle.
A three-time MLA, Nongrum had good equations with top AICC leaders belonging to the minority community. His name was cleared in the screening committee itself since its Chairperson Ambika Soni pointed out that a tribal can contest in general seat and there are specific examples in this list itself.
When the matter came to the Central Election Authority the same argument was placed and the choice remained whether to allow Saleh to contest from Mahendrajang. Obviously, being a woman and the wife of the Chief Minister, Dikkanchi Shira was nominated to contest in place of Saleh.
Nehlang Lyngdoh himself put a half-hearted effort to contest fearing sabotage from within. But in case of Stanly Wiss Rymbai his lack of interest cost him the ticket. Some applicants were also rejected on the ground that they had links with militant outfits and cases were pending against them.
Rymbai did not attend the swearing in ceremony as a Cabinet Minister even after his name was announced, allowing Prestone Tyngsong to walk away with the Cabinet berth. Rymbai hardly attended MPCC or CLP meetings and even failed to attend a high level function in his own home town Umroi attended by then Union Civil Aviation Minister and top Congress leader Valayar Ravi.