SHILLONG/NEW DELHI: The Congress has decided against change of party leadership at this stage, instead it agreed to re-energise the party with an eye on 2023 general elections.
The zoom meeting called by AICC General Secretary Luizinho Faleiro, after some MLAs wrote to Sonia Gandhi to replace the non-performing President Celestine Lyngdoh, provided a rare free exchange of views in the party.
According to some insiders, there was a lot frank exchange of views as MLAs, mainly from Khasi Hills, poured their hearts out about the inertia in the party, even while the government was “failing” on every front including tackling the pandemic situation.
MLA after MLA reiterated that the party was not effective as an opposition despite having a good strength in the House.
Normally aggressive Faleiro assured all legislators and PCC leaders that their concern will be addressed by revitalizing the party at all levels. In a change of stance, MPCC President, Celestine Lyngdoh also assured that he would find time to work in tandem with the two Working Presidents — Vincent H Pala (MP) and James Lyngdoh — to reach out to the party cadres and all frontal organisations.
Former Chief Minister and leader of the CLP, Mukul Sangma spoke at length about the role Congress played during this pandemic. The issues were effectively raised both in the Assembly and outside, he added.
One of the MLAs, who is a former Cabinet Minister, said that they were happy at the outcome of the meeting.
“For the first time after so many months we could express our feelings openly to AICC and got an assurance for the remedies,” he said.
Meanwhile, MPCC working president Vincent Pala said “We will reorganise properly and appoint a spokesperson each for the party and CLP. AICC general secretary Faleiro said that we must have a road map for the 2023 election and the CLP will work together with the PCC”, Pala said.
To ensure restructuring of the party, he said that certain party appointments at the grassroots level will be made as only the ad hoc president and district president are being appointed. He added that the party will have to be reorganized as per the constitution of the party. At the Zoom meeting, Pala said that all the MLAs spoke eloquently and the MLAs focused on reviving the party and the agenda set by Faleiro is on reorganizing the party especially in those areas where the party does not have MLAs.
“Out of 60 constituencies, we have only 19 — 10 from here and 9 from Garo Hills. Wherever there are MLAs, we do not have much problem in organizing the party but in constituencies which do not have Congress MLAs, I think we have a problem. So the sitting MLAs pointed out that we should revive the party”, he said.
Asked about the change in office bearers, he said that in some areas former Congress leaders such as Prestone Tynsong, Comingone Ymbon, Lahkmen Rymbui, AL Hek and Sniawbhalang Dhar have taken the Congress party workers along with them.
Besides, due to the COVID disruption, the elections cannot be held.
The MLAs also made observations of the functioning of the MDA government, he said, “The MLAs said that the government has failed in many respects, the government has no road map, this government has no agenda in terms of development, employment or implementation of the schemes. Many of them have very good chance in the 2023 elections provided we work and do the duty properly and hence stressed on reorganising the party properly especially in areas where there are no MLAs”.
Sources said that The Shillong Times was in the news during Monday’s stormy meeting of the Congress MLAs and PCC leaders. “Who is giving the news about our party to The Shillong Times,” a top leader shouted in the meeting hinting at the MLAs, who wanted a change in the MPCC president.
The particular party leader was furious since The Shillong Times had reported that the MLAs had written a letter to Sonia Gandhi briefing her about the need to change in MPCC leadership
To address the issue, Pala was assigned to speak to the press and none else. Some of the leaders were so paranoid that the press people were not allowed to cover the meeting at the venue.