SHILLONG, March 19: Two former colleagues, Shitlang Pale and Vincent H Pala, may have to battle it out for the former’s bastion in the upcoming Assembly elections in 2023 if the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief, Vincent Pala, is to make a move to contest the Sutnga-Saipung Constituency.
Recently, a report in a section of media had mentioned that pressure is mounting on the MPCC chief and Shillong MP, Vincent H Pala, to contest from Sutnga-Saipung.
Reacting to the report, All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) MLA from Sutnga-Saipung, Shitlang Pale, on Saturday said that the Shillong MP is free to contest from any constituency being the president of the MPCC, but made it absolutely clear that he will take on anyone who challenges him for the seat.
“It will be difficult for me to say anything about his candidature since I am no longer in the same party,” the AITC MLA told The Shillong Times. Informing that his preparations for the upcoming polls have begun, Pale said, “We will be able to know whether it will be a difficult or an easy contest after the elections in 2023”.
Meanwhile, the Shillong MP admitted that there is pressure on him to contest from his home constituency, Sutnga-Saipung. Pala added, “It is for the party high command to take a call if I should contest”. “But yes, I had written to the AICC about this. As a loyal party man, I will accept whatever the party high command decides whether I should contest or continue to work for strengthening the party at the grass root level without contesting the elections,” he added.