Strange things are happening in the MDA coalition. Earlier the coalition partners, mainly the UDP had sought the removal of NPP MLA, James Sangma from the Home Ministry following exposes of the illegal coal mining and transportation and names of his close aides featuring in the public domain as being facilitators of the transactions. James Sangma was replaced by UDP MLA, Lahkmen Rymbui as Home Minister. But the illegal coal mining and transportation carries on unabated even today. And the UDP and other coalition partners are silent on the issue. Now that the MeECL is in a holy mess and electricity is being rationed to just 13 hours a day, the UDP is back to what it does best – seek the removal of the Power Minister who coincidentally happens to be the same James Sangma. This time the UDP also wants the CMD, MeECL, IAS officer, Arun Kembhavi removed. The Party attributes the entire mess to the duo and believes a change of guard in the Power Department might help redeem the Power Supply Corporation.
Earlier the BJP had also been calling out at the corruption perpetrated by the NPP in the Garo Hills District Council. At that time the UDP had castigated the BJP for publicly exposing corruption outside the MDA instead of sorting matters out within the coalition. The UDP even taunted the BJP to withdraw its MLAs from the Government. The same can be said of the UDP today which is pointing fingers at their coalition partner the NPP. The UDP is only playing a political game. It wants to be seen as the ‘holier than thou’ partner in the MDA. Come elections and the UDP will take a pious stand that although it was part of the coalition its MLAs/ministers had no hand in the alleged corruption in the MeECL. This is too easy an alibi. A coalition by definition is a conglomerate of political parties forming the government and having collective responsibility. Blame or praise is shared equally.
The HSPDP and PDF have had more deference for the coalition dharma. They have decided to remain silent and sail along for the remaining term of the MDA government. Even in the Assembly the PDF MLAs/ministers prefer to remain silent and allow the Chief Minister to field all questions on their behalf. That’s more honourable than sharing power and also deflecting the blame at another partner. The only face saving action for the UDP is to leave the coalition. But why would they do that? After all, power is addictive.
