SHILLONG: Even though the State Congress has decided to maintain status quo with Dr Celestine Lyngdoh as PCC president, there seems to be some simmering discontent among some of the MLAs who wrote to Sonia Gandhi for a change in leadership.
A fortnight since the decision was taken to allow Dr Lyngdoh to complete his tenure as the president of the party until December this year, it is alleged that there has not been much progress in revitalising the organisation.
The PCC president, who was accused of being in a state of inertia, had committed himself to giving his time for the party. On this assurance, the status quo was agreed upon. However, it seems all of them are biding their time for December to come for a scheduled re-constitution of the organisation.
Meanwhile Laitumkhrah MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh reminded that there was a consensus in the party to follow the description and prescription of the party’s constitution as far as electing the party president is concerned.
She was of the view that the speculation over the party president’s performance and going to the public was “very distorted”. Lyngdoh recalled that they had a meeting recently conducted by the AICC general secretary where all concerns were highlighted and the party had come to a consensus that handful of people writing to Congress president and demanding for a change of the president would not make things happen. She reiterated that they were guided by their constitution which describes the procedures to be followed and they would wait for the time till they elect or re-elect the president through the procedure laid down in the party constitution.
When contacted Charles Pyngrope, who was one of the probable choices for the post, also said that the party’s established procedure of electing the president would be once the term of the incumbent president expires in December this year. He said on Tuesday that if the incumbent president felt that he was not inclined to continue with the post, “he is at his liberty to inform the AICC”.
When asked if he is not happy with the decision, Pyngrope said that it does not matter if he is in the race or not, as somebody “eligible” would have to occupy the post.
