SHILLONG/New Delhi, Dec 1: MPCC working president James S Lyngdoh on Wednesday resigned from Congress, the party he served for 33 years, along with former general secretary Manash Das Gupta.
Congress, however, said he was removed on November 29 due to anti-party activities.
Speaking to media persons after submitting his resignation, Lyngdoh said he took the decision as state Congress president Vincent H Pala had sidelined him and stripped him of all his responsibilities.
“I never faced any problem with the past MPCC president during the 33 years I served Congress. But the incumbent president decided to not give me any work and all of them treated me like they don’t need me anymore,” he said.
Asserting that he had been a hardcore grassroots worker of the party, he said he had taken up the issue of being cold-shouldered but the AICC paid no heed.
“When AICC in-charge, Manish Chatrath came here, he did not have the guts to call me. He used to call me every day before he took charge,” Lyngdoh said, insisting he has no plans to become an MLA, MDC or even a party worker.
He said it would be difficult for Congress to return to power in Meghalaya under the present leadership.
Lyngdoh explained why he delayed his decision of leaving the party. “Having spent 33 years in the party, I had to consult my family first and analyse the situation,” he said.
He was nostalgic about the “good atmosphere” Congress enjoyed under presidents of the stature of Friday Lyngdoh, SC Marak and DD Lapang.
“The incumbent president took away all the work I used to do for the party,” he rued.
He said he has not decided about joining any other party.
CLP leader, Ampareen Lyngdoh claimed James Lyngdoh was removed as the working president on November 29 since they were sure that he was a sympathiser of the breakaway group.
“He was involved in anti-party activities for 8-10 months,” she said, adding he was also removed as the convenor of the Mawphlang by-election for a similar reason.
“We had enough ground to substantiate our doubt about his sincerity to the party and had forwarded our observations to the high command with a request to remove him from his assignments,” the CLP leader said.
Pala had on November 29 proposed to Chatrath to appoint former MLA Deborah C Marak as the working president in place Marthon M Sangma. He had also suggested replacing James Lyngdoh with PN Syiem as the other working president.
The party also proposed the names of Billykid Sangma, Grithalson Areng, E. Oscar Phira and Manuel Badwar as secretaries.
Congress appoints new working presidents
The AICC on Wednesday appointed Debarah Marak and P N Syiem as new working presidents of the state Congress.
It may be mentioned that Deobarah was defeated in the last Assembly polls while Syiem was suspended from the party for ‘anti-party activities’ during Mukul’s regime. Syiem returned to the party after Vincent H Pala, his close associate became the MPCC president.
The party also announced five more secretaries, Billykid Sangma, Grithalson Arengh, Roger Benny A Sangma, E Oscar Phira and Manuel Badwar.
Meanwhile, former NPP leader from Mawsynram, Gopal Stone Hynniewta on Wednesday has been appointed as the adhoc president of the Mawsynram Block Congress Committee (MBCC) while SH Kharbani as its general secretary.
MPCC general secretary, Sanjay Das said that Hynniewta has been advised to reconstitute the MBCC and then submit the list to the MPCC. Before his appointment, Hynniewta had resigned as the working president of the NPP Mawsynram constituency on the same day.