Congress leaders, workers join UDP en masse
NONGSTOIN: In a major jolt to the Congress party, JT Stormding Thongni, president of Rambrai-Jyrngam Block Congress Committee (RJBCC) along with all the executive members including those of the youth wing and the women’s wing dissolved the block committee, announced their resignation from the Congress and joined the UDP, all on Monday.
Thongni along with other party members alleged that after the Assembly elections last year, members of the RJBCC had unanimously decided to field him (Thongni) as their MDC candidate. Thongni claimed that he had worked tirelessly for the last eleven months hoping that he would be rewarded with a Congress ticket, but was dismayed to learn that the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) list of candidate released on January 23 had the name of Kimfa Marbaniang as the candidate from the constituency.
Thongni alleged that only his name had been proposed for the Congress ticket from Rambrai- Jyrnagam constituency for the District Council election. He claimed that his name had been proposed as per the norms of the party – from the block level to the district level and then to the MPCC.
Thongni further claimed that Kimfa Marbaniang, whose name had not figured earlier, was awarded the ticket since the Congress was choosing candidates based on their ‘money power’ as opposed to the people’s mandate. He also alleged that the MPCC had demeaned the recommendations of the district and the block level units of the party.
Thongni claimed that he had founded the Congress in Rambrai in 2004 when he was elected as the MDC on a Congress ticket. He said he felt betrayed and did not expect this ‘reward’ from the party which he had served for 25 years.
Thongni also came down heavily on Prestone Tynsong, chairman of the Election Committee of the MPCC, for using derogatory language against him and his supporters when they had visited him in Shillong earlier.
Announcing his allegiance to the UDP, Thongni said that as per the mandate of the people he would contest from Rambrai- Jyrngam on a UDP ticket. He also said that a lot of development work was required in the constituency and he hoped that the voters would give him the opportunity to serve them.