From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has finally come out of his stupor to realise that BJP, once an alien party in the North East, has gradually stepped into the Grand Old Party’s fortress and is flexing its muscles even in Meghalaya.
Gandhi, who held a meeting with AICC general secretary in charge of Meghalaya C.P Joshi and Shillong MP Vincent H. Pala, wanted to know about the recent rumblings in the State unit.
Joshi, a known Mukul-supporter, apprised the central leader about the recent tiff between Power Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar and Deputy Chief Minister R.C Laloo.
The episode of Dhar’s “anti-party activities” has made wide repercussions leading to a section of the Congress functionaries to demand for the minister’s removal.
Both Pala and Joshi wanted removal of Dhar, sources said adding that Pala minced no words when he suggested drastic actions in both the party and the government. The MP was not available for comments.
Pala pointed out that if top leaders of the Congress holding responsible positions both in the party and the government in the hill state work against each other, the party cannot come back to power.
The Lok Sabha member, who was once snubbed by Dhar, told Rahul how the minister had supported a rival candidate.
“This did not defeat me but it did reduce my victory margin to a great extent,” the MP said.
Joshi painted a grim picture of the beleaguered party in the hill state. Interestingly, all the states, including Manipur and Assam, that Congress lost are under his jurisdiction.
Earlier, Joshi held discussions with Chief Minister Mukul Sangma before he left for Belgium, party sources said on Thursday.
“The party may not come back with the same number of seats… but it should try to retrieve whatever ground it has already lost. Unless drastic and prompt action is taken and active faces are inducted in campaigning, the party cannot win back the historic majority in the State,” sources quoted Pala as saying.
Gandhi is likely to meet the duo again either together or separately before taking a major step or changing strategy for the 2018 polls, the sources said.