AICC indifferent to rift between Pala, Mukul

NEW DELHI, Sep 26: The All India Congress Committee appears to be indifferent to the friction in its Meghalaya unit between Congress Legislature Party leader Mukul Sangma and PCC president Vincent H. Pala.
A senior AICC leader said Congress president Sonia Gandhi is no longer able to devote time to party matters because of her health while party vice-president Rahul Gandhi has still not withdrawn his resignation. Other senior leaders are either side-lined or have become silent.
It has been a Congress practice to summon warring leaders in the states and discuss the issues upfront. Alternatively, the high command would send emissaries to a state for defusing the internal crisis.
“The second-rung leaders without much experience are calling the shots. As a result, the party is not only losing grip in a few states but also spoiling chances where it can come back to power,” he said.
There are speculations that Dr Sangma and his loyalists might quit Congress and either join the BJP or the Trinamool Congress. He has already met a senior Trinamool Congress leader in Kolkata a week ago.
Meanwhile, Pala is scheduled to visit the Garo Hills on Monday along with other party leaders ostensibly to seek the blessing of former Chief Minister Salseng C. Marak.
Dr Sangma is not expected to be around.
Salseng Marak and former Minister Deborah Marak had asked both Dr Sangma and Pala to bury the hatchet and work together for strengthening the party.