NEW DELHI, Oct 4: The AICC has successfully brokered peace between Congress Legislature Party leader Mukul Sangma and Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee president Vincent H Pala after party president Sonia Gandhi on Monday met and urged the duo to work unitedly in the state for the party which she feels has a bright chance of coming back to power in the assembly elections in 2023.
The warring leaders were told to sink whatever misunderstanding they have in the interest of the party. “Both of you are senior and responsible leaders of the party and grown from the grassroots level and kept the party in power in the hill state for decades,” party sources said, quoting Gandhi’s advice to the senior leaders from Meghalaya.
Mukul told media that whatever happened was the internal affairs of a democratic party in the state. “We have solved our differences and problems within the party forum as per already established norms and guidelines,” he said.
Pala claimed that he had no problem with Mukul since it is the former chief minister who brought him to Congress. The later had some issues with the AICC which has been sorted out, he added.
Both the leaders are leaving for Meghalaya on Tuesday in view of the election to the three assembly seats where the duo has a high stake. With this the ongoing turf war between the two seems to have ended following protracted talks with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday night and Sonia on Monday.
Mukul who was on the verge of quitting the party to join Trinamool Congress with all his supporters appears to have mellowed down. Talking to the media, the former CM asserted said that the issues within the party have been resolved and there is no problem as of now.
The Congress high command had called both the leaders to Delhi to iron out the differences. Most things were sorted out on Sunday night itself during the meeting with Rahul.
Mukul was peeved at AICC for appointing Pala as MPCC president without taking him into confidence. He was also upset over certain ‘unilateral’ actions the latter had taken soon after taking charge.