By Albert Thyrniang
The rift between the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee president, Vincent H Pala and estranged Legislature Party leader, Mukul Sangma must have been ironed out and the saga of the fissure may now be part of history. The truce may also be temporary. The intervention of the AICC has placated the upset former Chief Minister and convinced the Garo Hills undisputed leader to work under the leadership of his arch rival.
The genesis of the public spectacle traces back to the announcement of the appointment of the Shillong MP as the state Congress chief late last month. He succeeds the low profile Celestine Lyngdoh. Now, anyone who follows Meghalaya politics knows that the three time parliamentarian is the best person to take up the top job in the state and to lead the grand old party in the 2023 February Assembly elections to success. His own party comrades acknowledge his prowess. Even the opposition secretly admit that the engineer-businessman-turned-politician is the topmost candidate to energise the party that is rather on the back foot. Mukul Sangma himself will concede that the most competent leader at present is the former Assistant Chief Engineer who surprisingly usurped all Congress bigwigs using his clout to be declared a Lok Sabha candidate in the 2009 elections. The names that went round, including those of veteran MLAs, before Pala got the nod from the central leadership, stand nowhere near his status. Supporters and rivals alike will agree that the AICC took the correct decision. A certain amount of aggressiveness was displayed in the choice.
The stunned Mukul Sangma immediately went incommunicado prompting speculations of him joining The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and even the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He came out of self isolation stating that he remained in the Congress but without denying press reports of the speculative shift of political allegiance emphasising that the differences would be solved within the four walls of the party.
Then on September 1 social media went agog and reported that the so called Gandhi family loyalist was to defect to the TMC along with 12 legislators. Reporters frantically looked for sources to back their reports. The shrewd veteran eventually reaffirmed his intention to stay put and termed the speculation to the ‘go the Faleiro way’ as ‘pre-mature’. Who knows, tomorrow or next week or next month or next year may be the ripe time to jump the into the TMC Bandwagon. Pala and Mukul finally met but without looking each other in the eye. Uneasiness was too visible. The claim by some unnamed Congressmen that the Ampati strongman was only serving a notice to the AICC displaying his even greater sway than the newly appointed president to be able to take two-thirds of the MLAs with him leaving Pala with only a third, could be true. Pala, on his part almost dared his opponent to join the TMC saying he would have little time to prepare for the 2023 polls. It could be a disastrous outcome. One doubts whether Songsak, Mukul’s present constituency would accept the TMC. Rangsakona too will be tricky. Due to his own persona Ampati may return a TMC legislator. Since the press found Himalaya Shangpliang and Mayralborn in their residence of their ‘leader’ it is assumed they were part of the plot to engineer a considered split in the Congress. Will Mawsynram be open to the TMC? Will Nongpoh embrace the ‘West Bengal’ party? And life would have come full circle had Mukul followed the footsteps of his former bitter rival, PA Sangma in aligning with the TMC. If he had joined the BJP he would have eaten back his own words because he had accused late PA Sangma of opening the door for the ‘communal’ BJP via his party, the NPP.
Politics today is truly sans ideology. What is the difference between the Congress and TMC? It is just a question of opportunity. And turncoats from liberal to religious bigots and vice versa are common, all for the sake of greener pastures.
With the Congress failing to make the ‘humiliated’ 80 year old ex-Punjab Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh to retire (the Captain had stated in 2017 pre and post Assembly polls, “This is my last election. Let the younger generation take over”) and the former Goa Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Luizinho Faleiro joining forces with Mamata Banerjee pledging she is a better leader than Rahul Gandhi, the Congress central leadership had to broker peace between the two biggest names in the Meghalaya Congress in New Delhi on Sunday night. The volatile party affairs in the ‘Abode of Clouds’ may have come to an end.
Mukul was not amused with Pala bringing back former Congressmen, first RG Lyngdoh and PN Syiem and then Billykid A Sangma and Brigady N Marak back to the fold. RG Lyngdoh was a successful Home Minister who tamed the HNLC, but was side-lined during Mukul’s Chief ministerial tenure. His health was the specified reason but the intention was probably to checkmate his popularity. Pala has ended the son of Peter Marbaniang’s 13- year political hiatus. PN Syiem, Mukul’s beta-noire was at a lengthy battle with his Chief Minister on the dual office issue involving even court cases. The then Mawsynram MLA was eventually freezed out in favour of bureaucrat and IAS nominated officer, Himalaya Shangpliang. Among the two former legislators in Garo Hills who have made their home-coming, one was allegedly a dummy candidate of the present Congress boss against a Congress candidate (read Mukul’s nominee) in the 2013 elections in North Garo Hills. Congress candidates that year were chosen based on the basis of family ties. Billykid A Sangma, ex Tura MLA too had irreconcilable differences with Mukul and had to contest elections independently or under the BJP flag.
Now the 2023 polls could be interesting in South Tura. In all likelihood we will see a triangular contest among the Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma (NPP), Tura MDC Bernard N Sangma (BJP) and Billykid A Sangma (Congress). Conrad won the 2018 South Tura by-election comfortably thanks to the support of Bernard and Billykid. However, his status had eroded, when in April this year, Bernard defeated the NPP candidate in the MDC elections. Billykid, an MLA prior to 2008 had lost to PA Sangma by 2,825 votes, on the year the senior Sangma returned to state politics. But the ‘no Kid’ politician still has a following. If he wins in 2023 and the Congress comes back to power under Pala, the Tura man will surely be a Minister.
Deborah C. Marak is another politician who sees an opportunity under Pala’s leadership. The former cabinet minister in the Mukul government lost the Williamnagar seat in the last election complaining that a rebel Congress candidate was put up by the leadership to sabotage her chances. So, the disgruntled Congress workers in Garo Hills are enthused with Pala at the helm of the party. At the cost of being repetitive one can see quite clearly that the best bet for the post of Meghalaya Congress President is Vincent Pala for the whole state. Any other choice would have had the Congress struggling much more to win the 2023 polls. Objectively, he is the most acceptable leader to unite both the Khasi-Jaintia and Garo Hills tribes, as Mukul himself desires.
Pala has reiterated that he has no plans to contest the 2023 elections but was also quick to add that if the party insists he will not shy away from doing so. The options are wide open. As one sees it the parliamentarian will be in the fray. If his party returns with a majority or comes somewhere close, he as a consensus Chief Minister candidate, could be a reality. In the 2024 parliamentary election he could put up one of the recent returnees. With his influence as ‘Chief Minister’ and multi-time MP his candidate could seal an easy victor who could be heading to Delhi. No wonder Mukul sees red and his role in the state politics will likely be demolished. A just reason for the tale created!
The by-elections to vacant Mawryngkneng, Mawphlang and Rajabala seats is a prelude to 2023. If the Congress retains Mawryngkneng and Phulbari and Kennedy Khyriem stops footballer and son of late SK Sunn, Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Pala will be upbeat. But if a poor show emerges his position will take a beating and he will have to put in more than 100 per cent effort. His ambition could be derailed. Mawryngkneng will also be a test for Charles Pyngrope as he himself and his deceased son, David Nongrum both represented the constituency in the past. Rajabala will test Mukul Sangma as well. A victory will enhance and a loss will diminish his reputation.
Hope you have read the Mukul-Pala saga.
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