SHILLONG: Despite dissidence in the State Congress now out in the open, Cabinet Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh on Friday reposed faith in the leadership of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma.
“We have a leader (Mukul Sangma) who is taking us in the right direction,” Ampareen told reporters when asked about the dissatisfaction among the Congress legislators on the style of functioning of the Chief Minister.
The underlying dissidence in the State Congress came out in the open after a delegation comprising Cabinet ministers Prestone Tynsong, H.D.R. Lyngdoh and Congress legislator M.M. Danggo led by MPCC president D.D. Lapang met AICC president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi recently in Delhi and expressed lack of confidence in the Chief Minister. Cabinet Minister and MPCC working president Deborah Ch. Marak also confirmed that there was dissidence in the State Congress.
Last week, former Chief Minister Salseng C. Marak, who is the Chairman of the State Planning Board, had told The Shillong Times that some Congress legislators were unhappy over the style of functioning of the Chief Minister.
However, Ampareen on Friday said she was happy with the performance of the Chief Minister as he was doing something to bring about positive results.
“Our collective decision is that he has done a lot of good work and I have full faith in his leadership,” Ampareen said.
Incidentally, the Urban Affairs Minister denied reports of dissidence in the Congress saying that she had not heard about any infighting.
“There is no infighting in the Congress and I am not aware of it as no one has informed me about this and, moreover, until there is in-house discussion, nothing can be said about the differences within the party”, she added.
Replying to a question, Ampareen said she was eager to know whether the so-called dissident legislators were dissatisfied with the Chief Minister ’emotionally’.
Asked about the meeting of Prestone Tynsong and H.D.R. Lyngdoh with AICC top functionaries including Sonia and Rahul demanding a change of leadership, Ampareen said, “Government formation is a group decision.”
To a question on the alleged autocratic behaviour of the Chief Minister in taking decisions, Ampareen clarified that it was a necessity for the Chief Minister as head of the State to take decisions quickly.
“The Chief Minister is permitted to take decisions and no decision is out of hand,” she asserted.
She also rubbished the claims of Independent legislator Saleng Sangma that the Chief Minister was not attending office and was often found to be out of station.
“The Chief Minister is very much available and whenever there is urgency he is here to discuss the issue,” she added.