Shillong, Dec 19: Meghalaya MLAs—Ampareen Lyngdoh and Mohendro Rapsang- submitted their resignation to Assembly Secretariat commissioner and secretary, Andrew Simons on Monday.
Lyngdoh and Rapsang who were elected to the state Assembly in 2018 as Congress MLAs from East Shillong and West Shillong respectively, will be formally inducted into the National People’s Party (NPP) at a public meeting at Madan Iewrynghep, Fire Bridage which will be held later in the day.
The two former Congress legislators have been holding consultations with their supporters in their respective constituencies in the past few months before taking the decision to join the NPP.
Earlier, there were reports that Lyngdoh was approached by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and had even met top party leadership including Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma. However, she declined to accept the offer and decided to join the NPP.
Meanwhile, Lyngdoh in her resignation submitted via email to AICC president, Mallikarjun Kharge said, “For the most part of her life, I have been a staunch supporter and foot soldier of the Indian National Congress. The party gave me the opportunity to serve the people of Meghalaya as a Minister and as a representative of my East Shillong constituency,”.
She said that she is thankful to the party for the support and for the appointment as Secretary of the All India Congress Committee.
“However, recent developments within the party have led me to believe that it has lost its sense of direction. There has been a pressing need for the party and its leadership to reflect on this. Sincere and honest attempts to lead such self-introspection, I believe, have failed,” Lyngdoh said.
The former Congress MLA further stated, “The party has lost touch with the people of Meghalaya, and I no longer believe it is the best platform for me to serve them. It is with deep regret, therefore, that I am writing to tender my formal resignation from primary membership in the Indian National Congress, effective immediately,”.