SHILLONG, Sep 18: Former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and other MLAs from Garo Hills on Saturday skipped a function organised to mark Vincent Pala’s appointment as MPCC president, indicating differences within the party.
Dr Sangma, the Congress Legislature Party leader and the Garo Hills MLAs also chose to stay away from a programme where five leaders, including R.G. Lyngdoh and P.N. Syiem rejoined the party.
“Maybe, he is not happy with me. But I will take him into confidence for doing my job,” Pala said on Dr Sangma’s absence after formally taking charges as the state Congress chief.
Asserting that he would be transparent, Pala said he will go and meet the former CM, who was tied up with the Assembly session.
“I always consider him as the boss and a friend in the party,” the MPCC chief and Shillong MP said, insisting not much should be read into the absence of many Garo Hills MLAs from the function along with Dr Sangma.
Pala said he would visit all the 60 blocks in the state within the next two months and would discuss the Garo Hills-specific issues with Mukul Sangma, Zenith Sangma, Deborah Marak, Salseng Marak and others before visiting the blocks in that region.
“We may be less in numbers but we are not less in value and all of us need to contribute with good knowledge, technology and experience,” the MPCC chief said.
AICC Meghalaya-in-charge, Manish Chatrath vouched for the unity in the party and said Pala’s meeting with Dr Sangma is a matter of time.
“There are no differences within the party and Mukul Sangma and Vincent Pala will work together,” he said. Asked if he would lead the government if Congress gets a majority in the 2023 state elections, Pala said the party would decide after “crossing the bridge”. He said the party has many competent MLAs and it would be wrong to project him as the CM.
Pala pointed to the percentage of votes polled in 2018 when asked if it would be difficult for Congress to dislodge the NPP. “We received 35% of the votes while the NPP got 17.6%,” he said.
