SHILLONG: The Congress has remained undaunted despite it witnessing an exodus of senior leaders ahead of the 2018 elections and vowed to defeat all turncoats.
Speaking to media persons here on Wednesday, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said, “Who are those MLAs who are leaving, you name them one by one and we will ensure their defeat.”
According to Sangma, the party has collected enough inputs on the position of the deserters and that the Congress has strong candidates to field against these turncoats.
At least five disgruntled legislators are all set to leave the Congress to join other parties. They include veteran Congress leader and former deputy chief minister Rowell Lyngdoh, two former ministers Prestone Tynsong and Sniawbhalang Dhar, Umroi MLA Ngaitlang Dhar and suspended member from Mawsynram Pynshngain N Syiem.
The chief minister said those who are quitting the party have a “self-centric agenda and the party knows how to reach out to the electorate and how to take on them (the deserters) during the electoral battle”.
AICC general secretary in-charge Meghalaya CP Joshi, who was also present at the press conference, said the picture would be known as to where these MLAs would be once the election and the results are declared.
Asked whether this will affect the Congress in the upcoming polls, Joshi said, “There is nothing new for few MLAs whose mission is not fulfilled to change sides. Only four MLAs leaving the party cannot be termed as many.”
On giving tickets to sitting MLAs, Sangma said it was not possible to give tickets to all legislators and in the past too, the party had taken similar decisions.
Talking about the party’s exercise before allotting tickets following clear directions from AICC, Sangma said, “In any constituency where we feel the situation is not indicative of the sitting MLA’s comeback, the party will decide otherwise. So it is not necessary that the party give ticket only to sitting MLAs, there is a lot of choice as nobody is indispensable in an electoral battle.”
