Dissidence in Cong: Advantage Opp

SHILLONG: Even as demand for the chief minister’s resignation poured in from friendly and unfriendly quarters, Mukul Sangma is determined to defy all odds and cling on to the hot seat.
Political pundits, however, feel that this will be a blessing in disguise for non-Congress parties as the next Assembly polls are scheduled to take place in less than two- year’s time.
The Chief Minister has claimed to have the support of majority of party legislators including Ministers in the tussle for leadership, which according to political observers may drag on till the beginning of 2018 when the state will go to polls.
Though the dissidents hoped that the Chief Minister would gracefully step down paving way for a new leader to take over the chief ministership, the latter took an aggressive stand and apprised the AICC that “all is well”.
A dissident Congress legislator is of the view that the leadership issue is very much relevant in the context of humiliating defeat of the party in Tura by-poll.
However, the state BJP leadership is amused over the state of affairs within the Congress and said that the BJP is not interested in meddling with the affairs of the Congress party.
“We are looking at 2018 and people will teach Congress a lesson for the mess the party has created in the State”, the state BJP President Shibun Lyngdoh said.
A UDP leader, on the other hand, said that it would be good for his party if Mukul Sangma continues as the Chief Minister till 2018. “The anti-incumbency factor will help UDP and other non-Congress parties to come back to power,” the UDP leader said.
As far as Congress is concerned, the legislators would not like to go the Assam way (vertical split).
The MPCC president DD Lapang , whom  the dissidents have projected as the next leader, said that party would solve the crisis amicably and asserted that there was no question of  splitting the party .
In his usual style, Lapang said that though there were differences in the family, “it does not mean that the house should be torched”.
However, the non-Congress parties feel this double standard of some Congress leaders — projecting themselves to be true Congressmen and at the same time adding fuel to dissident activities— will benefit them as the wave of anger against Congress is brewing in the State for its overall failure in governance.