By H H Mohrmen
The most important development in the politics of the state which occupies much space in the media recently are reports of political parties reorganizing the top echelons of their respective parties. One would think that it is only the beginning of 2016 and we still have two full years ahead of us before the next election to the state assembly so why hurry? But in preparation for the elections, two years is not too long a time and the 24 months can make a difference between the party’s winning and losing the few seats in the ensuing election.
The Congress in the State is a house in turmoil. The urgency to reorganize the top level of the party could very well be in anticipation of the midterm polls too. The election of senior party man D D Lapang to the post of the president of the party is simply a way to accommodate elder Congressmen (whose rightful place is the back benches) to a respectable position in the party.
The Congress which is the oldest party in the country is a divided house with no clear contender for leadership against Dr. Mukul Sangma. There is no denying the fact that the Khasi-Pnar section of the party secretly wishes a member of the community to lead the party. Some see in the KHADC CEM Pynshngain N. Syiem to be the only contender against Dr Sangma, but obviously he does not have the clout, the followers or even the capacity to match Dr Sangma’s caliber.
Some projected the Shillong M.P. Vincent Pala as the contender for the top post in the state Congress. Pala definitely has some influence and some MLAs from Jaintia Hills support him, but not all of them. One would not be surprised if Pala throws his hat in the ring because by now he must have realized that being a mere MP in the capital is not the same as being the Chief Minister of the state. Moreover, the shrewd politician that he is, Pala must have realized that the prospect of Congress and its allies coming to power in Delhi post 2019 general election is negligible. The future of the party at the National level is bleak and mere membership in the Lok Sabha will not do. The only option for Pala is to jump into state politics and the situation is now ripe for him to do so. Besides the circumstances are also like an opportunity which comes to him in a platter to appropriate.
It is also known that poor Pynshngain is just a pawn for Pala to intervene in the state politics, because the truth is there’s much more beyond Pala taking keen interest in the Rangbah Shnong and other issues than what meets the eye. Pala and Dr Sangma are not best of friends and that was obvious from the last M.P. election. And Pala too has his business interests in the state which did not get favourable consideration from the CM. He therefore has his own axe to grind.
As for Pynshngain it is obvious that the blame that he was targeted by Dr Sangma in the dual post case is but a lame excuse. He is simply trying to get public sympathy by portraying himself as a victim in the entire imbroglio. Everybody know the case against MLAs and MDCs holding dual post was filed by Agnes Kharshiing an ordinary citizen of the state (with no affiliation to any political party) and the matter is in the court but the government is only acting in the best interests of the state. Pynshngain Syiem has no other option but to follow the footsteps of his other seven colleagues holding dual post in both the Jaintia and Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council and resign from one post. His entire comrade in arms irrespective of their party affiliations resigned (including the former CEM Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit) the moment the bill was passed. So what makes him think that he is special? Does it mean that all those who had tendered their resignation from the office of MDC in their respective ADCs are fools? The government should do the needful and implement the law in letter and spirit as there cannot be a special treatment to anyone. Everybody is equal in the eyes of the law. Government should act immediately to save the Congress from more embarrassment.
The other pertinent question is, if election is going to be conducted to the 7 MDC constituencies lying vacant in the two ADCs due the resignation of the MLAs also holding MDC posts, how can there be a special treatment for the constituency which Pynshngain occupies? Thank goodness at least the other 7 politicians holding dual posts listened to their conscience and resigned on moral grounds.
The next party which has its war room ready for the 2018 election is the BJP. The election of Young-Turk Shibun Lyngdoh as the president of the party is not unexpected but the question is whether he be able to make a difference. Although he lacks experience in politics but as of now Shibun is the best bet that the party can have. He has also showed his political acumen as the incumbent president when he hired and fired and even sent some party men who have been through the thick and thin of the party packing. Obviously Shibun is a quick learner and he is fast becoming a true politician.
Of the few national parties having their presence in the state, Purno A. Sangma’s National Peoples’ Party is still basking in its glory of being able to win the recent election to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council. The party is yet to get its war room ready, or perhaps there is no need of doing so, because it relies on one man, the doyen of the party himself.
The United Democratic Party which is the most prominent regional party in the state is also gearing up for election of the party’s new president in preparation for the ensuing election. Two contenders to the office of the president have emerged, namely Paul Lyngdoh and Bindo Lanong and for the UDP it is a choice between the future and history. Lanong is a diehard and a true regionalist to the core but his success will depend on his being able to garner the support of the young people. His recent statement in the press particularly on Rangbah Shnong issue could also further alienate non tribal voters in the state particularly those in Shillong from the party. They UDP leadership should realize that nontribal residents of Meghalaya are no longer the same people which the Congress can take for granted as the party’s solid vote bank. Not only do they now have the alternative in the BJP but of late there is trend of non tribals in Shillong voting for the UDP too.
The challenge between the UDP and the Hills State Peoples’ Democratic Party for the top slot of proving which of the two is more regional-centric than the other is getting intense by the day. As the two remaining regional parties are vying against each other for being the party which represents the true regional or tribal interest, the only losers in the competition are the regional parties themselves. They will ultimately only cut on each other’s vote bank. The HSPDP under the leadership of Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit is trying to project itself as the only party which is fighting for the interests of the tribals in the state and they are banking heavily on that. Unlike the UDP which is gradually embracing every citizen of the state into its fold, the HSPDP still portrays the presence and the influx of non-tribals to the state as the imminent threat to the indigenous people of the state. Whether this kind of projection is going to help or backfire on the party’s performance in the elections is yet to be seen, but it is obvious that the party still has a long way to go before it can attract all the voters in the state irrespective of their race or religion.
We will not have to wait long to see which party would gain from this stalemate. The upcoming election to the seven/eight MDC constituencies in the two ADCs will be a mini general election which will give us some indication as to which way the wind blows.