SHILLONG: Shillong MP and senior Congress leader Vincent Pala has described the move of the United Democratic Party to cobble together a regional front comprising North East-based parties as a mere dream of the party’s working president Paul Lyngdoh which will never come true.
“The idea is not new and this was also thought of long back, but it never happened,” said Pala adding it is just Paul Lyngdoh’s “dream and something not possible”.
“You can never expect them (regional parties) to be united, but you can definitely expect them to be more divided,” Pala said.
Earlier, UDP working president, Paul Lyngdoh had said that a regional front of all the North East-based political parties was required since regionalism needs to remain relevant.
Lyngdoh had also informed that the UDP has already approached parties like the AGP from Assam, MNF from Mizoram to name a few and, according to him, the response was positive.
“There is no question of unity among regional parties because everyone is a leader,” Pala said. “Even in Assam the regional parties can never unite,” he said.
It may be mentioned that though the opposition Congress feels that the move is all talk, the UDP has garnered support and appreciation from leaders of other political parties.
NPP state president WR Kharlukhi, for instance, was all praise for the move and observed that the region needs such a platform.