SHILLONG: An effort is on by Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma to get some likeminded independent legislators to be associate members of the Congress, possibly to thwart any attempt from any quarters to dislodge him from power.
Out of the total 14 independent legislators, including one from North East Social Democratic Party , 11 are supporting the Congress-led MUA-II Government.
One of the independent legislators said on Tuesday that the Chief Minister was making a move to get some Independent legislators to be the associate members of Congress, though he would not hazard a guess about the reason behind such a move.
Congress has 29 legislators, two short of simple majority in the 60-member House.
Besides the independents, two NCP members including the Deputy Speaker Sanbor Shullai are supporting the Government.
After the defeat of Congress in the Lok Sabha polls in Tura and the victory of Shillong Congress candidate Vincent Pala there are murmurs of discontent about Sangma’s leadership among Congress legislators.
The Lok Sabha results have been a double whammy for the Chief Minister. On the one hand, he was the self-appointed chief campaign manager of the Congress candidate at Tura, on the other he was reported to have opposed Pala’s candidature at Shillong and did not campaign for him.
However, senior cabinet minister HDR Lyngdoh said that there was no threat to the Government and added the Congress legislators were united.
Asked whether Tura MP P A Sangma would be a threat to the Congress government, Lyngdoh said that though there was an apprehension, he could not comment whether in reality Sangma’s victory would be a threat to the Government.