SHILLONG, Dec 3: The beleaguered Congress suffered yet another setback on Friday when 400 Meghalaya Youth Pradesh Congress (MPYC) members resigned from the party’s primary membership.
The development comes a day after 600 members of the National Students’ Union of India, which is the Congress’s student wing, deserted the party and days after 12 party MLAs donned the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) colours.
After the en masse resignation, outgoing MPYC general secretary, Fernandez Dkhar alleged party president, Vincent H Pala is trying to induct businessmen and people with criminal records into the party. “People are being enrolled into the party, whether it is at the airport or hotels. The enrolment is being done without following due procedures,” he said.
According to him, leaders at the block Congress-level should have been consulted before enrolling anyone.
“But sadly, the people, who just joined the party, are now active in the WhatsApp group. The senior leaders in the group are silent spectators, which is really unfortunate,” he said.
Refusing to take any name, Dkhar said, “The present Congress leadership knows who I am referring to. People will slowly come to know who that person is.”
He lamented that Pala advised the senior leaders in the Indian Youth Congress to dissolve the MPYC days before the enrolment drive that started on November 20.
“How can you dissolve it when the new body has not been constituted?” Dkhar asked, adding, “We were never consulted on this new enrolment drive.”
He claimed he had requested Pala to take steps to resolve the internal rumblings. According to him, the state Congress chief had assured to look into the matter but no steps were taken.
“The exodus of party MLAs was already expected. I think if former AICC leader Ahmed Patel were alive, he could have solved the differences among party’s state leaders. But there is none from the AICC who can step into his shoes,” he said.
Dkhar said Pala ate his own words by backing off when most MLAs and MDCs had wanted Charles Pyngrope to lead the party in the state as its president.
“When he was appointed as the MPCC president by the AICC, he didn’t consult or seek the views of state leaders whether he should accept it. Everyone had expected that he would at least have a word with them since many wanted Pyngrope. This only proves Pala’s true character,” Dkhar said.
He claimed Pala had asked some leaders if they have the money to contest for the post of MPYC president.
“This clearly reflects that you need to have money if you want to hold a position in the Congress party,” Dkhar said.
He said he had received a call from the IPAC team of strategist Prashant Kishor to join the AITC.
“I have not met them but we will take a collective decision to join any new political party together. We are all committed to work for the people of the state,” he added.
