New Delhi/ Shillong: The Central Election Committee of the AICC will discuss the candidature for the two parliamentary seats in Meghalaya after the district council elections in the State are over, AICC sources said on Monday.
During the AICC election committee on Monday, the party held discussions for 93 seats in five states – Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka – which are represented by non-Congress MPs.
The Congress, fearing dissension among its sitting MPs, has decided to take up their case only after the current session of Parliament ends on Thursday, party sources said, adding that the candidature for the two seats in Meghalaya (Shillong and Tura) will be taken up for discussion only next month.
Incidentally, MPCC president DD Lapang and Chief Minister Dr. Mukul Sangma, who are both members of the Congress election committee, had landed in the national capital to attend Monday’s meeting, but returned to the State after the discussion for Meghalaya was deferred.
Sources informed that the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee had sought more time to finalise the candidates in view of the district council polls where the party is facing an uphill task.
Meanwhile, informed sources have alleged that the infighting in the State Congress has delayed the announcement of the Congress candidate who would contest the Lok Sabha election from Shillong seat.
Sources informed that the Congress is in a dilemma over who should be given the ticket since the party MLAs in the State are divided over their choice of candidate between the two strongest contenders – sitting MP Vincent H Pala and Government Chief Whip Ronnie V Lyngdoh.
While some Cabinet ministers are against allotment of the party ticket to Pala who has been alleged of anti-party activities in the last Assembly elections, others feel that if the sitting MP is denied a Congress ticket, there is a possibility that he might join some regional party and take on the Congress candidate in the upcoming election.