New Delhi, Sep 12: The Congress resolution seeking the ouster of Assembly Speaker, Metbah Lyngdoh is said to be the result of rising factional feud within the party.
The party under Mukul Sangma’s leadership had almost decided to bring a no-confidence motion against Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government. The reasons were the major scams, law and order situation and other issues, party sources said.
Initially, the plan was to create a division in MDA and try and form an alternative government with the help of United Democratic Party (UDP). The Congress was even open to allowing the UDP to head the alternative government it envisaged.
This was the reason why the Congress did not go hard at Social Welfare Minister, Kyrmen Shylla, who is from the UDP, on the alleged multi-crore rupees rice scam but went all guns blazing at the National People’s Party (NPP) for alleged corruption in the Power department which is with the party.
However, things took a different turn after Vincent H Pala, a known adversary of Mukul, had donned the state Congress chief’s mantle. Pala could gauge the game plan and declared that the Congress will work hard to secure an absolute mandate in the 2023 Assembly elections.
Given the fact that the NPP allies have already rejected the Congress’s proposal for the formation of an alternative dispensation and the ruling coalition has a clear majority, the no-trust motion could have only embarrassed the grand old party.
When it dawned on a section of the Congress leaders, the plan changed overnight and the resolution against the Speaker, who is from the UDP, was adopted although he has nothing to do with MDA’s performance.
It is for this reason that the Speaker had expressed surprise. He wondered what made the Congress go for his jugular when he was serving “earnestly” by giving space to all members.
Two days ago, Mukul had to clarify that the Congress has nothing personal against the Speaker.
When contacted, Pala said he has not yet taken the charge of party’s state unit president officially. It is for the Congress MLAs to decide the issue of no-confidence motion, he asserted.
