CM more comfortable with AICC vice-president, claim dissidents
SHILLONG: The recent statement of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma that he supports Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi to be elevated as the president of the party assumes significance as the chief minister finds Rahul as his saviour in the current demand for change of leadership by the Congress dissidents.
During a news conference last week, the chief minister said he was in favour of Rahul taking over as the president of the party after media reports indicated a change of guard in the AICC.
His comments came in the wake of a letter the chief minister had sent to Rahul stating that there was no more demand for change of leadership and that the stability in CLP was restored.
However, the Congress dissidents feel that since the chief minister is more ‘comfortable’ with Rahul, he wanted to ensure the latter’s elevation to the post of president.
When the fresh demand for change of leadership surfaced end of May last after the debacle of the party in Tura by poll, the chief minister met Rahul in Delhi, and left for Shillong whereas MPCC president D.D. Lapang and Shillong MP Vincent H. Pala met party president Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and AICC leader V. Narayanasamy and discussed the problems of dissidence in Meghalaya.
The dissidents argued that with this rate of falling vote share, Congress will not come back to power in the next assembly polls which is less than two years away.
Both Sonia and Rahul agreed to meet the dissidents in New Delhi and accordingly Lapang and Pala returned to Shillong to meet party MLAs.
Later, the dissident activities came to a halt following the letter of the chief minister to the AICC vice president that stability was achieved.