By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: With only four legislators in the current Assembly, the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) appears to be a divided House.
The party is coming up with contradicting statements on whether it will support the Congress-led Government or sit in the Opposition. The election of the Assembly Speaker is also among the contentious issues within the party.
Earlier on Thursday, HSPDP President Hoping Stone Lyngdoh was not totally averse to the request of Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma to join the Government.
Lyngdoh said that he does not have any problem in joining the Congress Government if the Chief Minister can give an assurance that he would try to resolve interstate boundary dispute with Assam at the earliest.
“I am ready to work with any party which is serious in addressing the problems faced by the villages along the interstate border,” the HSPDP supremo said.
However, other members of the HSPDP seem to have different ideas.
Nongkrem legislator Ardent Basaiwmoit had told reporters on Friday that the HSPDP will sit in the Opposition while adding that it will play a constructive role by not criticizing every policy of the Government.
Interestingly, after the failed attempt on part of Basaiwmoit, to contest for the post of Assembly Speaker, HSPDP president Hoping Stone Lyngdoh feigned ignorance about filing of nominations by the former.
“The party did not field any candidate for the post,” Lyngdoh said.
According to him, the matter was never discussed in the party forum and Basaiwmoit had gone to file the nominations at his individual capacity.
Basiawmoit though had claimed that he wanted to file the nomination since he is against the move of the Congress to appoint a non-tribal for the post of Assembly Speaker.
Meanwhile, supporting Basaiawmoit’s stand, HSPDP spokesperson, G Nonglong, said the party would not be part of the Congress-led Coalition Government. “The party this time is going to sit in the Opposition,” he said.
Nonglong also backed the Nongkrem legislator’s opposition to the Congress’ move to elect Phulbari Congress legislator AT Mondal as Speaker.
“We would support if the Congress puts up a tribal candidate for the Speaker’s post,” Nonglong said.
When asked if the party is going to be part of the UDP-led Opposition alliance Meghalaya People’s Front (MPF), Nonglong said
the HSPDP is still undecided on it.
Meanwhile, Rambrai-Jyrngam HSPDP MDC KP Pangiang also maintained that the HSPDP is not going to be part of the Congress-led Government.
“We are going to sit in the Opposition. But at the same time, we are not going to jump into the opposition alliance led by the UDP,” Pangiang said after the meeting of the HSPDP legislators on Friday evening.