SHILLONG: If there was one political figure, who was much talked about in 2016, it was undoubtedly KHADC CEM PN Syiem and there is no denying to it among any quarters, political or otherwise.
A vocal leader representing Mawsynram constituency, Syiem shot to limelight after he stood by his decision on the dual posts issue while other seven MLAs who were also members of district councils hurriedly resigned under pressure from the Mukul Sangma-led MUA-II government that passed the dual posts bill in haste. In 2016, he got a favourable verdict from the High Court of Meghalaya, the Meghalaya Governor and the Election Commission of India that the post of MDC is not an office of profit and hence he does not face disqualification.
The decision of these constitutional authorities was a blow to the Chief Minister as political observers conclude that it was the rivalry between him and Syiem that forced the Cabinet to bring the dual posts bill and subsequently pass it in the Assembly in the end of 2015.
Recently, District Council Affairs Minister Prestone Tynsong acknowledged that the seven legislators should not have quit the post citing the case of Syiem. The non-Congress political parties were also vocal against the timing of bringing the bill as they wanted the government to wait till 2019 when there will be election for the district councils. The non-Congress parties had hailed the decision of Syiem to stick by his stand on dual posts.
Had the MLAs not resigned, the by-polls conducted for the seven seats at the cost of over Rs 2 crore could have been avoided.
Curiously, the Law Department had referred the name of only Syiem to the Governor and the Election Commission for a decision on dual posts though an earlier order of the Court said the names of all the seven legislators should be referred to the Election Commission.
Had the government referred the name of all the seven legislators to the Election Commission, the by-polls could have been prevented.
Syiem had brought forward before the State and central party leaders the futility of passing the dual posts bill and the Chief Minister’s handling of the issue, but in vain.
Besides the dual posts issue, the defeat of the party candidate in the by-election to the Tura Lok Sabha seat had prompted the dissidents, including Syiem, to question the leadership.
Though MPCC president D.D Lapang was projected as the new leader to replace Sangma, Syiem alone was targeted by the Congress leadership by suspending him from the party for three years.
Neither Syiem was given any show-cause notice, nor any disciplinary committee met to examine his case. The MPCC president had cited remarks made by Syiem against the government and the party in the media as the reason for taking action against him.
However, the Congress circles knew that the Chief Minister had a role in ousting Syiem from the party.
The suspension of Syiem was a costly affair for the Congress as five KHADC MDCs left the party and supported Syiem who is still heading the PDF coalition.
The party could not stop Syiem from becoming more powerful as in the post district council by-polls scenario, he could muster the support of MDCs belonging to HSPDP and NCP and the strength of PDF under KHADC rose to 23 in the House of 29.
