SHILLONG: The Congress has become the loser in 2017 with three senior leaders deciding not to contest the Assembly polls in 2018 and six others opting for other political parties.
Trouble started after two legislators, Prestone Tynsong and Sniawbhalang Dhar, were dropped from the ministry and in their place, Celestine Lyngdoh and Comingone Ymbon were inducted in August.
Curiously, Ymbon quit four months later. He has decided to join NPP.
Even before the dropping of the ministers, there was attempt to remove Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, but in vain as the legislators were not united and many leaders emerged for the post of the chief minister.
While MPCC president DD Lapang, Deputy Chief Minister RC Laloo and Health Minister Roshan Warjri opted out of the fray, suspended Congress legislator and KHADC chief executive member PN Syiem quit as legislator and member of the Congress recently and joined the newly formed PDF.
Other Congress legislators who had decided not to contest from the party and are set to join NPP on January 4 are Rowell Lyngdoh, Tynsong, Dhar and Ngaitlang Dhar.
With the rebel Congress leaders leaving the party, the state Congress swung into action and dissolved several block units. The party had also downplayed desertion by several MLAs.
NPP has projected itself as an alternative to the Congress with the support of many MLAs and MDCs, while the year also witnessed UDP-HSPDP combine inking pre-poll alliance.
However, the alliance is not free from trouble since UDP MLA Remington Pyngrope has decided to join NPP. Another UDP youth leader, Hamlet Dohling, has already joined PDF.
BJP factor
The year also saw the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who kick-started the BJP campaign from Polo Grounds.
Two independents, Justine Dkhar and Robinus Syngkon, had expressed their desire to join BJP during their meeting with senior leaders in Delhi.
The row over the cow slaughter ban had compelled several BJP members, including former ANVC-B leader Bernard Marak, to quit the party.
However, the BJP leaders from both the Centre and the State had allayed fears about the slaughter rules.
Emergence of the new regional party, PDF, was a feature of 2017 and it had roped in many MDCs.
Cong back in power in GHADC
The tabling of the Garo Customary Law that defined who is a true Garo had its fallout resulting in the exit of the NPP-led Executive Committee from GHADC.
Later, NPP MDC Boston Marak was roped in by the Congress as the new CEM to form the next Executive Committee led by the Congress.
As far as KHADC is concerned, though several attempts were made to remove KHADC CEM PN Syiem, he survived the tests.
