CM rules out KHADC impact on MDA govt

SHILLONG: Chief Minister and national president of the National People’s Party (NPP) Conrad Sangma on Thursday said he is optimistic that the recent turbulence in Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council will not have any impact on the NPP-led MDA.
The UDP leader and KHADC CEM, T. Dkhar faced revolt within the coalition as some MDCs said that the CEM does not consult them before taking important decisions.
The KHADC had recently witnessed rumblings when as many as 6 MDCs supporting the EC had resigned, but returned later after persuasion by the top brass of NPP.
Though the UDP-NPP led People’s Democratic Alliance in KHADC was reduced to minority after six MDCs withdrew support to the coalition, the Opposition Congress did not take advantage of the situation. Three of the MDCs, who had resigned are from the NPP.
Talking to newsmen after a meeting of the coordination committee of the MDA, the chief minister said that even the political parties of the alliance fought the council elections separately but that did not have any ramification for the MDA.
However, since the alliance in the KHADC is an extension of the MDA, it was concerned over the developments, he said while attributing these to communication gap which was eventually sorted out through meetings.
As far as the common minimum programme of the alliance is concerned, the chief minister informed that it has been cleared.
There was criticism from several quarters that the alliance does not have any common minimum programme though the alliance partners claimed that the booklet containing the achievement of the MDA government for one year will be sufficient.
The coordination committee meeting of the alliance which is supposed to take place every month could not be held for the last three months due to the Lok Sabha elections.
The meeting was attended by the presidents of the different political parties of the alliance. The meeting discussed grievances that alliance partners may have among other things.