SHILLONG: The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has postponed a crucial meeting to Friday after MDCs from People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) and Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA) did not turn up at the meeting scheduled for Thursday.
KHADC CEM Teinwell Dkhar said the meeting will be held on Friday. The meeting is set to discuss the resignation of six MDCs and differences over financial matters that have surfaced in the KHADC over the Rs 52-crore grant from the Central government.
The PDA has 10 MDCs — 1 PDF, 2 Independents and 7 NPP. The RDA has 7 UDP and 2 HSPDP MDCs. The PDA and RDA had formed the UDA.
The NPP is confident of resolving the crisis in the KHADC Executive Committee after six MDCs withdrew their support to the UDA.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma told reporters on Thursday that the leaders of respective parties have been asked to sort out the matter.
“The council is an autonomous body and the problems are its internal matter. The MDCs will discuss the issue together and the leadership is capable of resolving the matter,” he said.
To a question, Conrad said the NPP-led government took initiative to introduce anti-defection law in the Councils and the Union Home Ministry has held a series of meetings in this regard.
NPP state president WR Kharlukhi said that the party will control the events and nothing is going to happen to the EC which is being supported by different partners of the NPP.
On being asked if Congress is playing a role in de-stabilizing the EC, he said that the party had already made it very clear that it had nothing to do with the developments in the KHADC.
He also expressed confidence that there will be stability in KHADC once the anti-defection law is introduced in the district councils.
“The anti-defection law is coming. It has been passed by the Cabinet and it just needs to be introduced,” he said.
On being asked about NPP senior MDC PN Syiem not attending the meeting convened by the partners to sort out the issues, he said that as chairman he cannot attend the meetings and has to act neutral.
He also denied speculations that PN Syiem will join Congress.
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.
