SHILLONG: At a time when the Congress in Meghalaya seems to be down and out, party leader and Shillong East MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh wants the party to hold its flock together.
Talking to media persons, Lyngdoh said if the Congress leadership does not hold its flock together, a time will come when the party will disintegrate forcing those who are not willing to leave to actually consider doing just that.
Stating that it is a very peculiar situation in Meghalaya where there are 19 MLAs who form the single largest party in the opposition, she said the members should remain united with a common voice so that they will not be vulnerable to temptations from other parties.
Pointing out that there are too many issues currently worrying the people of the state, Lyngdoh said, “The first thing is the Sixth Schedule and if that is diluted we are going to have a problem.” She said, “Today, citizens are alert, awareness is high and politicians, in order to survive, need to be platforms for all these agendas. I believe that all other issues that are being circulated will continue to pull us and it is only the leadership of the party that needs to keep us focused, united and reminded otherwise it will be difficult”.
“The temptations are too grave. Every legislator has to survive. Political survival is an important indicator of our survival. There is this belief that politicians will go wherever the pull is, but actually that is not true in all cases. However, when there is going to be a complete debacle you need to make sure that everybody in the flock are on the same page,” she added.
On the disintegration of the Congress in other states of the country and reports of the state unit not being intact, Lyngdoh said, “We are not different from any other state or politicians,” she said.
“The party needs to be consolidated and if this occurs rapidly and more cohesively then we are going to have a holistic party otherwise all of us are constantly being tempted to go elsewhere, constantly being lured to be in a better place to serve better as legislators. That is the spirit of surviving in politics,” she added.
