SHILLONG: Senior Congress leader and former Speaker of Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, Charles Pyngrope has downplayed the fears that the retirement of senior leaders from the Congress would adversely affect the party in the upcoming Assembly elections.
The statement came from the Congress leader after as many as three senior leaders- DD Lapang, RC Laloo and Roshan Warjri decided not to contest the upcoming polls.
“There is no dearth of leaders in the party. We will definitely miss the senior leaders with their experience and guidance but at the end of the day, you have to be replaced and there is no way you can stop the process, “Pyngrope told reporters here on Tuesday.
Pyngope pointed out that the Congress had a system where it had a structure down the president of party to the president of the unit in the block level and the leaders from the bottom rung would step up the ladder.
Pyngrope also substantiated his claims by saying that the party has received multiple applications from almost all the constituencies and added that in Pynursula constituency, PN Syiem has been replaced by HM Shangpliang.
When asked about the growing presence of BJP in Meghalaya, he said that was a normal process for any party to grow and democratic system allowed space for every political party to grow. “But how long they would last, it is a question,” he said.
Responding to a query about Nongthymmai constituency from which he would contest again as a Congress candidate, he said that he had not stopped working since 2013 as he still was connected with people.
Regarding issues in Nongthymmai constituency, he said that there were multiple issues and there was a need to find ways and means to generate employment not by going through Government jobs but by providing opportunities for self-employment.
According to Pyngrope, having MLA schemes does not give an edge to MLA but the use and distribution of MLA schemes correctly and wisely play a major role.
“We have had many MLAs who lost the elections despite having MLA schemes and MLA scheme is not a major factor which would decide the course but it is the ultimate deliverance and the manner in which schemes are distributed matters the most,” he added.
He also said that he was confident of winning the elections like every other candidate.