SHILLONG: Former deputy chief minister Rowell Lyngdoh on Wednesday flayed MPCC president DD Lapang for “destroying” the party by way of dissolving several block Congress committees arbitrarily.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, the veteran Congress leader also did not spare Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and AICC general secretary in charge Meghalaya CP Joshi for adding to the problem. Rowell said they did not pay heed to the demand for change in leadership in the past resulting in the present crisis as many Congress legislators are set to leave the party.
MPCC had dissolved Mawkyrwat block Congress committee headed by Rowell without his knowledge.
Other block committees dissolved by MPCC are Pynursla, Umsning and Nartiang represented by Congress legislators Prestone Tynsong, Ngaitlang Dhar and Sniawbhalang Dhar, respectively.
In protest, many members of Pynursla block Congress committee had quit the party.
While Rowell still remained as a “loyal soldier” of the party, other members of the Mawkyrwat block committee led by Diverland Lyngdoh recently joined NPP.
Asked whether he will also join NPP, Rowell said, “I am still a Congress man and I want to complete the remaining term. But I will discuss with my supporters before shifting allegiance to any other party.”
To a question, Rowell said there was request from many quarters to join NPP and during an interaction with Tynsong recently, the latter had also hinted at joining NPP.
Asked about the reasons for the dissolution of the block units, Rowell said, “I do not know whether the plan to dissolve several units was mooted by Lapang or Mukul but this is going to damage the party,” Rowell said.
According to Rowell during 2015-16, the Congress High Command should have changed the leaders of both the party (Lapang) and the government (Mukul), when there was such a demand from MLAs, but the AICC general secretary in charge of Meghalaya CP Joshi did not listen to the grievances of the legislators resulting in the current situation in the party.
