SHILLONG, Feb 14: In a fresh development that could spell further trouble for a beleaguered Congress party in Meghalaya, the five MLAs revealed that they decided to extend support to the National People’s Party-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance Government in order to send a message across to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) that they should not take elected representatives lightly.
They blamed the AICC for not acting on their demand for removal of Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee president Vincent H Pala from his post which led them to extend support to the MDA which has the BJP as one of its constituents.
The five MLAs had given a one-week deadline to the AICC to remove Pala from the post before making their move.
One of five Congress MLAs told The Shillong Times on condition of anonymity that they had attended an online meeting with AICC in-charge of Meghalaya, Manish Chatrath last week where they had sought Pala’s removal.
“We had clearly spelled out that he (Pala) should be removed from his position since he is destroying the party. But the AICC never responded to our demand,” the MLA said.
According to the legislator, the five decided to go ahead and support the MDA Government without the approval of the party high command in order to send a strong message to the high command that they cannot take elected representatives lightly.
The MLA also revealed that Pala had appointed himself as chairman of various committees of the MPCC without taking anyone into confidence. “We were in a state of shock when an AICC leader wanted to know if we had endorsed Pala’s nomination as the chairman of various state Congress committees,” the MLA said.
Accusing Pala of turning the Congress into a one-man party, the MLA also claimed that the MPCC chief has promised party tickets to several people on his own.
The AICC on Monday issued show-cause notice and suspended all five MLAs including Congress Legislature Party leader, Ampareen Lyngdoh, but preferred not to make the notice public.
AICC sources said this was done to give a final chance to the legislators who have support to the NPP-led MDA Government where BJP is an alliance partner. The party does not want to precipitate the matter and hopes that a few of them, if not all, might come back to the Congress fold, the sources added.
The five Congress MLAs, however, made it clear that they will not withdraw their support to the government.
Earlier in the day, they held a two-hour long closed-door meeting to discuss their future course of action. “We will remain committed to the MDA till the end of the present term for the benefit of all,” one of the MLAs, PT Sawkmie told reporters after the meeting, defending their decision.
He said the five of them are intact and firm on supporting the government. He also said they have not received the official communication on their suspension from the AICC. “We will not withdraw the letter of support submitted to the government.
We would like to strengthen the arms of the government so that it can move ahead with issues already taken up,” Sawkmie said.
He referred to issues such as Inner Line Permit, state’s boundary row with Assam, inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution etc.
Alleging that developmental activities have come to a halt in their respective constituencies as they are in the Opposition, Sawkmie said although they joined the government, they will not keep mum on the important issues of the state.
He criticised the AICC for maintaining silence when 12 Congress MLAs had defected to the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) in November last year.
As regards their own decision to back the government, he said the AICC should understand the powers of MLAs, stating that every wing including AICC, party and MLAs have their own powers.
Sawkmie said he and the four other MLAs have no intention to leave the party.
Asked about AITC leader Mukul Sangma’s claim that the five Congress MLAs were engaged in backdoor negotiations with the NPP, Sawkmie said the former chief minister should not comment anything on the matter.
He gave his blessings to the 12 AITC legislators and wished they get re-elected next year.
CLP leader, Ampareen Lyngdoh chose not to make a statement on their political future. “It will unfold. Wait for the time,” she said.