From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI: Leader of the Congress Legislature Party, Mukul Sangma has rubbished the report of 11 party MLAs planning to join the ruling NPP, claiming that such “mischievous” reports are deliberately floated to divert the attention of the people from the multiple failures of the MDA government.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, Sangma said such reports are only figments of imagination of some vested interests who are failing in governance in all fronts.
“The law and order situation has gone out of hand and a serious economic crisis is gripping the pandemic-devastated state” he said.
“Instead of handling the situation on the ground, such reports are floated just to divert the attention of the public,” the former chief minister said.
Sangma pointed out that leaders have come and gone but the party remains. “Some leaders left the party and many others joined too as a part of the process,” he said.
The lone Congress MP, Vincent H Pala also dismissed the report, saying even the party does not have 11 MLAs in Khasi Hills, as claimed.
“Reports of Congress MLAs leaving the party and joining NPP or even BJP are nothing new,” Pala said.
“But how many MLAs have actually left the party and joined the ruling combine,” he questioned.
A similar reaction was given by Congress legislator HM Shangpliang, who said Congress MLAs never wanted to leave the party.
“Congress is a democratic party with over hundred years of existence and can accommodate all in due course of time,” he confided.
Reports have indicated that talks between a group of Opposition legislators and the NPP leadership are underway.
The NPP was looking to make 13 MLAs jump together in order to avoid the provisions of the anti-defection law or else they would have been disqualified had they shifted their allegiance to the other party.
But going by the sheer number it seems near impossible to gather MLAs in double digits, let alone 13 legislators to avoid the anti-defection law. The only other course to resign from the Assembly and contest again, also looks very remote after the defeat of the former Speaker in the last by-polls.