Nongstoin, Tura never been stronghold of Congress party, says Shillong MP
SHILLONG: Lok Sabha member from Shillong Vincent H Pala has hinted that the ongoing political turmoil within the ruling Congress in Meghalaya following the defeat of the party in by-poll to Tura parliamentary seat as well as in Nongstoin Assembly constituency is over.
“The matter has been sorted out and it (dissidence) is now a history,” Pala told newsmen here on Monday.
The Congress MP said that Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and the party president DD Lapang should convene a meeting of all the party MLAs and leaders to explain why the party had lost the recent by-elections.
According to him, both Nongstoin and Tura have never been stronghold of Congress. “Former HSPDP chief Hoping Stone Lyngdoh had represented Nongstoin in the State Assembly for several years,” he said adding that same was the case with Tura which was Purno Sangma’s stronghold.
Reacting to a query if he was joining BJP, the Shillong MP made it clear that he has no plan to join the saffron party at the moment.
“First BJP has to prove its presence in the 2018 State Assembly elections,” he said.
“If it (BJP) goes alone in the 2018 election, it would be very difficult for the party to penetrate into Meghalaya and even Congress took decades to make its presence felt in the state,” Pala said.
When asked about reported plan of BJP to destabilize the Congress-led MUA -II Government in the state, the Shillong MP urged all the Congress MLAs and leaders to remain united.
“BJP will either impose President’s Rule or call for elections if the crisis lingers on,” he said, adding that there is no wrong if non-Congress parties have formed North East Democratic Alliance since all parties would like to expand their wings in the North East region.
When pointed out some his supporters are seen with BJP leaders in the state, he said that several BJP leaders are his friends and it is his duty to take up the proposals of the State Government with the BJP-led NDA Government in New Delhi.
