No defection by Cong MLAs: MP

SHILLONG: Senior Congress leader and Shillong MP Vincent Pala has brushed aside claims that 13 Congress MLAs are looking to desert the party and join either NPP or the BJP in the state.
Pala said that these are mere rumours that have been doing the rounds since the past 3-4 months.
“I have spoken to many of my friends and they say that there is no such thing,” Pala said.
Making it clear that he is not underestimating other political parties who may poach Congress MLAs, he however, added that it will not be easy for 13 of them to suddenly leave the party and join others.
It may be mentioned that a section of leaders in the party were furious after the party lost the Shella assembly bypoll. They were particularly not happy with the choice of candidate.
“When I talk to them, they tell me that they meet ministers for constituency-related work and just because they do that, it does not mean that they are leaving the Congress”, Pala said.
However, sources in the party had earlier said around 10 of the 19 MLAs were ready to desert and were only waiting for their number to reach 13 before they do so that they can escape the anti-defection law.
Apart from Pala, other top leaders of the party, including CLP leader Mukul Sangma, had also denied reports of some MLAs waiting to leave the Congress.
In the House of 60, the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance has a strength of 41 while the Congress has 19.