SHILLONG: Trouble continued in the United Democratic Alliance (UDA)-led Executive Committee (EC) in the KHADC despite efforts to bring about rapproachement among MDCs on Wednesday even as CEM Teinwell Dkhar offered to step down in the interest of stability.
A meeting convened by the UDA to sort out differences remained inconclusive with only two NPP MDCs attending. There are seven NPP MDCs in the council.
Six MDCs of the coalition — three from NPP, one PDF and two Independents — had resigned on Tuesday.
Senior leaders like PN Syiem, who is the chairman of the KHADC, and Independent MLA, Lambor Malngiang, skipped the meeting.
UDP leader and MDC Paul Lyngdoh said that talks were still on to reach a point of reconciliation and another round of meeting is scheduled on Thursday. The meeting is likely to be attended by other partners as well.
Reacting to a query if the UDP and the Congress will come together to form a new EC, he said that the party has not even given a thought to it.
It was the special assistance grant of Rs 52 crore awarded by the Centre which has put the EC of the UDA in KHADC in trouble.
The six MDCs had demanded that the CEM convene a meeting of the UDA to clarify on the special assistance grant awarded by the Centre.
They had given the CEM one week to convene the meeting which ended on Tuesday without any response from him.
Forced to resign
Independent MDC Lambor Malngiang said they have been forced to take the drastic step since the CEM was not paying any heed to the demand of the MDCs to convene the meeting of the UDA.
“We want some clarity on the Rs 52 crore which was received from the Centre as special assistance grant. We know that only Rs 32 crore has been released so far. But we will wait to know the EC plan to utilise the balance amount,” the independent MDC said.
When asked if the Congress was behind the move, he said that the party has nothing to do with this.
To a question as to whether the PDA would work together with the Congress perty which is in the Opposition, Malngiang said the decision will be taken by all the PDA MDCs and nothing has been decided yet.
He alleged that the EC did not call a meeting of the UDA with regard to the allotment of amount to all the MDCs.
To a query whether the CEM should resign since the EC has been reduced to a minority, he said they are not demanding his resignation as the decision was left to the CEM.
“As practised, the CEM should resign since he has lost the majority,” Malngiang said.
CEM clarifies
The KHADC CEM, Teinwell Dkhar, said he was ready to step down for the sake of stability and survival of the ruling coalition.
“I am ready to step down if the situation demands. But I want to make it very clear that it is up to the party leadership to give a direction”, Dkhar said, while talking to reporters on Wednesday.
He, however, said in the meeting of the UDA, they are yet to discuss whether he should step down to end the present political stalemate in the Council.
Ten MDCs of the ruling coalition attended the meeting of the UDA.
The MDCs who did not attend the meeting include six MDCs who withdrew support besides Council Chairman, P N Syiem, and Deputy Chairman, Alvin K Sawkmie. The UDP MDC from Ranikor, N Marwein, did not attend the meeting since he is not well.
Replying to a query, the KHADC CEM said he is ready to review the demand of the MDCs to increase the allotment under the special grant.
Dkhar said the decision of the MDCs to withdraw support due to the allotment of special grant has shown the Council in bad light in the eyes of the public. “The MDCs are behaving in this way due to the absence of anti-defection law,” the CEM added.
Meanwhile, NPP MDC and Deputy Chairman of the KHADC, Pyniaid Sing Syiem, said he and another NPP MDC Rangkynsai Kharbuki are still in the EC.
When contacted, the chairman of the KHADC, PN Syiem, said the situation in the House shows the weakness of the CEM as he could not carry along everyone collectively.
Syiem also denied media reports that he would join Congress and said he was firm to be with NPP.
Congress MDC Ronnie V Lyngdoh said Syiem joining Congress does not arise as the party is in the opposition.
