SHILLONG: To clear the air of mistrust that all leaders of State Congress may not be backing the party nominee in the Shillong Lok Sabha seat, a meeting was convened by the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee on Thursday to see that everyone worked together to ensure the victory of sitting MP Vincent Pala.
The MPCC leaders downplayed the rumblings in the party over the allotment of ticket to Pala. It may be recalled that there were many contenders for the Shillong seat from the Congress. There were reports that an influential section of the state party leaders were not keen to field Pala for the Shillong seat and instead wanted either Ronnie Lyndoh or John Kharshiing.
However, the joint news conference attended by Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma, MPCC President DD Lapang, Pala himself, Deputy Chief Minister RC Laloo, Cabinet Ministers Roshan Warjri, HDR Lyngdoh, Prestone Tynsong, A L Hek and Sniawbhalang Dhar, legislator Ronnie Lyngdoh and Congress leader John Kharshiing asserted that the party would fight the elections united.
The reason for objections from several quarters to the candidature of Pala was the allegation that the MP had campaigned against the party nominees during the last Assembly elections.
Asked about this in the joint news conference, Pala denied the allegations and said, “I will never do that and those were only the perceptions in the Press”.
Besides Ronnie Lyngdoh, Kharshiing and Pala, another Congress aspirant for the party ticket and former Assembly Speaker Charles Pyngrop was also present in the meeting convened by MPCC.
Lapang told newsmen that the meeting attended by Ministers, MLAs, former legislators, MDCs and party leaders discussed the matters related to the elections to ensure the victory of the Congress candidate.
Lapang explained that initially there were four contenders for the ticket and Congress leader OL Nongtdu had opted out due to his illness. Later, Ronnie Lyngdoh also applied for party ticket.
According to Lapang, though there were reports of confrontations and divisions, Congress was a disciplined party. “At the end of the day, we accept the decision of the High Command gracefully”, Lapang said.
According the MPCC chief, ticket aspirant Charles Pyngrope spoke in the meeting on the need to ensure the victory of the Congress candidate.
Lapang said that though there were rumblings, the party was united and the Congress leaders and the party workers would go to the field to fulfill the aim of retaining the seat.
The Chief Minister also echoed the views of the MPCC president and asserted that Congress will win both Shillong and Tura seats.
According to the Chief Minister, differences like in a family were signs of the true spirit of democracy.
He said whether it was Tura or the Shillong seat, the final decision was made by the Congress Parliamentary Board. The Chief Minister said that Congress was committed to fight corruption and in this regard, the Government even formed a strong Lokayukta.
He said the Government would bring more legislations to ensure speedy delivery of services to the people.
