SHILLONG, Nov 16: The National People’s Party (NPP) on Tuesday said it has kept its doors open for Congress leaders Vincent H Pala and Mukul Sangma.
“We don’t have enemies but political opponents. I welcome Dr Mukul Sangma, even Vincent Pala and everybody willing to come to us,” NPP state president and Rajya Sabha member, WR Kharlukhi said.
He said the NPP has not yet received any feelers from Congress leaders but if someone wants to come and is ready to accept the NPP ideology, the doors of the party are open.
On if there is a possibility of the NPP forging an alliance with the Congress in the 2023 Assembly elections, Kharlukhi said, “We haven’t thought about it. We are okay with our present alliance and we would like to continue this.”
Reacting to reports on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) starting its groundwork in the state with its eye fixed on the Assembly polls, he said the field is open and the NPP is ready to fight any political party.
Poll strategist Prashant Kishor’s team members are said to be camping in Shillong, conducting 
a research as a part of a strategy to understand the dynamics of the state’s politics.
After the TMC’s resounding victory over the BJP in this year’s West Bengal elections, Kishor had renewed his contract with the party till the 2024 Parliamentary polls.
Kharlukhi also claimed that five-time Congress chief minister and now NPP leader, Dr DD Lapang is not going anywhere and will remain with the NPP.
“I met him today and it is confirmed that he is not going,” Kharlukhi said, reacting to attempts being made by the Opposition Congress to convince Lapang to return to his former party.
Countering MPCC president Vincent Pala’s claims that Dr Lapang may join the Congress by December, Kharlukhi said, “Congress can claim anything they want but the reality is they will not succeed as he has chosen to be with NPP.”
According to the NPP state chief, the Congress setback in the by-elections proves that without Dr Lapang, the party will be nowhere in Meghalaya.
Asked how important Dr Lapang was for the NPP, Kharlukhi said, “He is a tall leader. He is the chairman of the North East Coordination Committee and also the chief adviser to the Chief Minister. This shows his importance.”
