Friday, March 29, 2024
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Curtains down on ‘volatile’ five years; coalition signals yet again

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By Our Reporter

SHILLONG: Curtains are about to come down on a politically volatile five years with the announcement of the Assembly election for 2013, the State witnessed many twists and turns to the toppling drama with turncoats playing major roles since 2008 resulting in the formation of four Governments till 2012.
The signal is that the same enactment may be witnessed after the 2013 Assembly election considering the presence of too many players representing several political parties.
With so many potential leaders in the many existing political parties, change of leadership is likely to recur.
The denial of party tickets to many Congress aspirants is likely to reduce the party’s tally after election. The current trend is that yet again, a coalition government is in the offing.
A President’s Rule, formation of four governments, with one having the life of only 10 days, and legislators changing affiliations and their resignations, disqualification and reinstatement among others marked the last five year of Meghalaya politics.
In the run up to the 2008 Assembly polls, there were speculations that political parties like UDP, HSPDP and KHNAM will ultimately join a Congress-led Government. A miscalculated Cabinet induction in 2009 proved to be the downfall of DD Lapang when Congress was in power and a calculated reshuffle saved the leadership of Mukul Sangma in 2010.
The death of three former chief ministers – EK Mawlong, DD Pugh and FA Khonglam – one former Deputy Chief Minister JD Pohrmen and sitting legislator Mason Singh Sangma have also created a void in Meghalaya politics.
Like in the past, the political leaders earned the dubious distinction of not allowing an elected government to complete the full term of five years.
Soon after the results of the Assembly elections held on March 3, 2008 were announced, the Congress emerged as the single largest party winning 25 seats. The CLP leader DD Lapang wanted to hurriedly stitch a coalition government with usual partners UDP, HSPDP and KHNAM expecting their support.
However, unhappy over the style of functioning of Lapang, the regional parties did not want to support a Congress-led Government and instead made overtures to the Opposition NCP which had 15 legislators.
However, determined to form a Congress-led Government, Lapang with 25 Congress legislators and support of three Independents formed the Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA) and assumed office on March 10, 2008 assuring the Governor that he would prove the majority on the floor of the House.
As the important day approached, Lapang, certain of his defeat on the floor of the House, tendered his resignation on March 19 after having been in the chair for only 10 days.
The Opposition NCP-UDP combine made use of the opportunity to forge a coalition Government sans the Congress.
On March 19, 2008, Donkupar Roy, leader of the Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) was sworn in as Chief Minister.
The 31 member MPA coalition consisted of NCP, UDP, HSPDP, KHNAM (Paul Lyngdoh), BJP (AL Hek) and two Independents, Limison Sangma and Ismail Marak.
Later, MPA increased its tally to 32 after NCP candidate Satto Marak won the bye-election to the Baghmara seat in South Garo Hills. The election was deferred after the sudden demise of Sengran Sangma of the Congress soon after he filed the nomination papers.
Later, Independent legislator Ismail Marak joined the MPA and its tally rose to 33.
The MPA strength further swelled to 34 in February 2009 when another Independent Limison Sangma joined its fold.
The untimely death of former Chief Minister EK Mawlong from the UDP in October 2008 and the subsequent victory of Congress legislator Stanly Wiss Rymbai from Umroi (bye-election) in March 2009 was a blow to the ruling MPA coalition. From 11 members, the strength of the UDP had come down to 10.
March 2009 was a cruel month for the ruling MPA coalition as Congress succeeded in breaking the alliance, leaving a litany of woes for the MPA.
The crack was thrown wide open when two Independent MLAs – Ismail Marak and Limison Sangma – left the coalition on March 9, 2009 and joined the Congress.
In the toppling game engineered by the Congress, lone KHNAM legislator Paul Lyngdoh also subsequently resigned from the Cabinet.
With the resignation of Lyngdoh, the Assembly witnessed a peculiar political situation as in the House of 60, the strength of both MUA and MPA stood at 30 each.
In 2012, the situation changed once again as Lyngdoh embraced UDP, the same party which he had betrayed three summers back. Advisor Pariong of the HSPDP also left MPA only to return back to its fold.
During the high voltage political drama, the then Assembly Speaker Bindo M Lanong from the UDP  imposed disqualification of four legislators – Deputy Speaker Sanbor Shullai (NCP), Ismail Marak and Limison Sangma (Independents) and Paul Lyngdoh.
Though Pariong initially faced interim disqualification his case was not followed up by the Speaker since he returned back to the MPA fold.
Amid the confusion, a confidant MPA claiming effective majority in the House won a trust vote on March 17, 2009, but the Congress-led MUA which met Governor RS Mooshahary termed the trust vote as illegal and staked claims to form the government.
The next day, the Governor recommended President’s Rule and on March 19, the first anniversary of the MPA government, the Centre notified the President’s Rule in Meghalaya.
In the meantime, the disqualification of Shullai, Ismail, Limison and Paul was stayed by the Shillong Bench of the Gauhati High Court.
Trouble further haunted the MPA after Ampareen Lyngdoh, who had contested and won on a UDP ticket, resigned on March 31, 2009 and decided to contest from the Congress.
As a reward, when the Congress-led MUA government was formed, Ampareen was inducted into the ministry even before she faced the by-elections. Ampareen got elected on a Congress ticket in August, 2009.
UDP MLA Nimarson Momin also joined the exodus by quitting as MLA, but withdrew his resignation letter later.
The loss of two UDP seats (Umroi and Laitumkhrah) resulted in UDP’s strength being reduced to nine, while that of the Congress rose to 27 from the original 25.
Prior to this, in July, the lone BJP legislator AL Hek joined the Congress and subsequently, he was accommodated in the ministry. It was an advantage for the Congress as its strength rose to 28.
In the fluid political situation, the move of NCP, a partner in the MPA to forge an alliance with the Congress to form an alternate Government backfired as the UDP extended support to the Congress for the formation of the new Government.
Amid the claims and counter claims, the Centre on May 8, 2009 decided to lift the President’s Rule. The critics found that the imposition of President’s Rule and its subsequent revocation nearly after two months was aimed at installing a Congress-led Government in Meghalaya.
The people by and large welcomed the President’s Rule as this could bring about a semblance of order and discipline in various government departments.
Soon Lapang was sworn in as the Chief Minister of the Congress-led MUA coalition on May 13, 2009 with the support of UDP, HSPDP and KHNAM who were earlier under the MPA banner. With the new political development, the MPA ceased to exist.
Along with Lapang, Mukul Sangma was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister, while RC Laloo, MM Danggo and Ampareen Lyngdoh were sworn in as Cabinet ministers.
While initially, JA Lyngdoh represented UDP in the MUA Cabinet, independent legislator AT Mondal was also made a minister for his unflinching support to the MUA during troubled times.
On May 16, 2009, Lapang added five more members to his Cabinet including Deputy Chief Minister Bindo Lanong (UDP) and Prestone Tynsong (Congress).
KHNAM member Paul Lyngdoh and Independents Ismail Marak and Limison Sangma were also inducted for their ‘sacrifice’ of switching allegiance to the Congress-led coalition.
However, the Congress legislators, who were unhappy over the induction of Lyngdoh and three Independents were successful in toppling the Lapang-led Government.
Despite the Congress short listing the name of Assembly Speaker Charles Pyngrope as the next leader, Lapang’s deputy, Mukul Sangma, whose name never figured in the tussle for power, emerged as the new Chief Minister to succeed Lapang on April 20, 2010. Other names doing the rounds were Rowell Lyngdoh and RC Laloo.
The Mukul ministry initially had three members with Bindo M Lanong (UDP) as Deputy Chief Minister and JA Lyngdoh, also of the UDP, and Independent legislator AT Mondal as cabinet ministers.
On April 24, Sangma expanded the Cabinet with the induction of Congress legislators Rowell Lyngdoh as Deputy Chief Minister, HDR Lyngdoh, FW Momin, Augustine Marak and Founder S Cajee as Cabinet Ministers. All of them had been involved in the move to oust Lapang.
Sangma, however, retained RC Laloo, Prestone Tynsong and Ampareen Lyngdoh.
Among those who faced the axe included Independents Limison Sangma, Ismail Marak, KHNAM leader Paul Lyngdoh and Congress member MM Danggo.
However, this was not the end as the perennial resentment among those who were not inducted in the ministry was palpable.
With Lapang out of power, many legislators, who were once against him, rallied behind him to stage a coup against Mukul.
Lapang, with the support of 18 Congress legislators, had also met Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Delhi.
However, in a sudden change of mind, probably on the advice of Sonia Gandhi, Lapang decided to ‘cooperate’ with Chief Minister Mukul Sangma during their meeting with the Congress president on July 8, 2011. Except dissident Congress legislator Prestone Tynsong, others were not present during the meeting in Delhi.
Other dissident Congress legislators, however, were not happy with the move of Lapang.
Tynsong, who also pledged his support to Sangma, was finally inducted into the Cabinet on August 2 though he was dropped from the ministry on June 7, 2011 for his acts of dissidence.
In the tussle for power and political drama, those who lost the cabinet berths on June 7 were Augustine Marak, FW Momin and Founder S Cajee. They had to give way for the induction of AL Hek, Shitlang Pale and Saleng Sangma.
Another suspense was that Congress legislator Stanly Wiss Rymbai, who was to be sworn in along with Hek, Pale and Saleng, did not turn up and subsequently the Chief Minister inducted the sacked minister Tynsong on August 2.
Lapang’s claim that an agreement had been reached to re-induct other dropped ministers proved to be false.
The Opposition wanted to test the unity of the Congress and on September 14, Mukul Sangma had to face a no-confidence motion moved by NCP.
The motion was defeated in the Assembly by a head count, but not before a six hour discussion on the functioning of the Congress-led MUA government.
Unlike previous years, the Chief Minister did not face any revolt from the Congress dissidents and the coalition partners in 2012.
To have a balance of power, Lapang was made president of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee in the middle of the year.
While the Congress was able assume central charge of power in Meghalaya, the main Opposition party in the Assembly, the NCP was besieged with several problems.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma relinquished Tura seat to contest the Presidential polls, but in vain. His daughter Agatha also lost the Union Cabinet berth after the reshuffle of the Union ministry.
To prevent NCP taking any political mileage out of the issue in the poll bound Meghalaya, Shillong MP, Vincent Pala was also dropped though the official word was that he will concentrate in State politics considering the upcoming elections.
The NCP in a meeting held on August 24, 2012 also claimed that the party merged with the newly formed NPP under the leadership of PA Sangma.
However, suspended NCP legislator Adolf Lu Hitler R Marak and Deputy Speaker Sanbor Shullai did not join the NPP.
The UDP has also suspended its legislator Ardent Basaiawmoit for questioning the party’s decision to field a non-indigenous candidate from Rajabala in West Garo Hills.
One significant development in the State politics was the decision by veteran political leaders – former Chief Minister JD Rymbai (UDP) and Friday Lyngdoh (Congress) – not to carry on with active politics.
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