SHILLONG, Jan 11: Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, Mukul Sangma, has downplayed reports that a section of Congress MLAs is planning to float a political party ahead of the 2023 elections.
He told journalists on Monday that the Congress faced many challenges in the past. He recalled that when a senior leader left the Congress in 1999 and floated a party, people thought that would be the end of the Congress in the state.
“But we exist. Even in 2018, some people, who were in the Cabinet and the government, had left us. Not just the Congress, every political party faces this challenge,” Sangma said.
He said the Congress has an inherent mechanism to deal with the challenge.
“Leaders will come and go but the Congress will remain,” he asserted.
He said as the CLP leader he is aware of who is doing what and with what intentions.
Stating that other parties will always have an agenda to weaken the Congress and this is why, a Congress MLA had in 2018 resigned, which necessitated a bye-election, he said such attempts will be continuously made to weaken the Congress but the party knows how to keep its flock together.
“We are prepared for the election, if held now, tomorrow or when it is due,” he asserted.
Congress MP Vincent Pala, meanwhile, seemed certain that there was no move by a section of party leaders to float a new party before the 2023 Assembly elections, but added that if such a thing were to happen it would be a “setback”.
“We may have a setback if it happens like last time just before the 2018 elections. However, this time we have learnt our lesson and I don’t think it will happen again,” Pala said.
“It would be a big mistake if anyone tries to do it,” he cautioned.
He said that the Congress is a big family and disintegration sometimes happens due to differences among the leaders.
Admitting that nobody can predict the future, Pala said, “There are some politicians who like to assert their control over a party.”
