SHILLONG, Dec 31: The Congress MLAs’ exodus was a strong foundation for the year 2022 to start but what precipitated in the first month of the year spiced things up but also shook the political factions — five Congress leaders extended their support to the MDA coalition government in Meghalaya in an unforeseen way.
The development carried extra weight and raised eyebrows only because the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was a coalition partner in the MDA and technically, the BJP and Congress were now allies as well.
Although their moves drew flak, the Congress MLAs played it cool as they based their decision on the agenda of development.
The BJP’s state unit remained miffed for a few days.
Soon after they extended support to the MDA government, the Congress top brass suspended the five party MLAs — Ampareen Lyngdoh, PT Sawkmie, Mayralborn Syiem, Kimfa Marbaniang and Mohendro Rapsang — for three years.
This triggered speculations that suspended MLAs will join other parties sooner or later.
By the end, the speculations proved to be right as Ampareen Lyngdoh, Mohendro Rapsang and Kimfa Marbanaing resigned from the Congress and joined the ruling National People’s Party (NPP), while the rest — Mayralborn Syiem and PT Sawkmie — made it amply clear they will be joining the UDP fold.
As far as the Congress is concerned, the disintegration had been done. But the grand-old party somehow absorbed the jolt and put up a brave front.
Under such a condition, State Congress president Vincent H Pala, who is a Lok Sabha member, decided to join state politics. He recently declared the party’s first list of 40 candidates for Assembly polls including his name, which will be sent to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) for approval.
Congress will, for the first time in Meghalaya’s electoral history, field candidates for the Assembly polls without a single sitting MLA.
The NPP, on the other hand, had an eventful year towards the middle with plenty of new entrants in the party.
The party has throughout the year harped on NPP becoming leaders’ choice because of the development, and social as well as political works introduced by them in Garo Hills region as well as the Khasi-Jaintia Hills.
NPP has gained many leaders some of them even well-known.
Former Speaker of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and Congress leader AT Mondol from Phulbari also joined the NPP fold.
But it lost sitting MLAs too. After being denied tickets, three NPP MLAs — Benedic R Mark (Raksamgre), Ferlin CA Sangma (Selsella), and SG Esmatur Mominin (Phulbari). Benedic and Ferlin have joined the BJP, while SG Esmatur Mominin is likely to join the Trinamool Congress.
Throughout the year, allegations flew left and right and the NPP was bathing in criticisms as call for probes into irregularities, alleged scams, illegal coal transportation, et al, turned into a regular affair.
Opposition TMC continued its tirade against the NPP on several such issues and the Congress jumped in on the attack once in a while.
MDA coalition partners — the UDP, BJP, HSPDP, PDF — on the other hand, have been on a mission to project the NPP as the master of all misdeeds while them as victims.
Among all coalition partners, the NPP had a major tiff with the State BJP which boiled to a point where the latter threatened to quit the coalition government. NPP, seemingly unbothered, asked them to leave if they were unhappy.
However, the BJP has lived up to its name of a ‘toothless tiger’ given by the NPP state president Dr WR Kharlukhi as their threats have not materialised; the BJP has so far not withdrawn support to the MDA.
Although at times being projected as a divided house, the BJP has however proven its claims of roping in sitting MLAs. An Independent MLA and three just-resigned legislators of poll-bound Meghalaya joined the BJP in New Delhi.
Out of the four, HM Shangpliang, Ferlin CA Sangma and Benedic Marak had recently resigned as MLAs and quit their respective political parties.
HM Shangpliang has shifted allegiance to the BJP from the Trinamool Congress while Benedic Marak and Ferlin CA Sangma came from the NPP, while Samuel Sangma is an Independent MLA and was an associate member of the United Democratic Party (UDP) before joining the BJP.
Hope runs high in the BJP camp for more to join the party, which is optimistic to put up a good show in the upcoming polls and be a major player in government formation.
The BJP, confident of winning over 30 seats and forming the next government in Meghalaya, is gearing up to declare its list of candidates. Sure of a win, the saffron party is also planning to announce the name of its chief ministerial candidate soon.
The recent release of BJP vice president Bernard N Marak from jail, albeit on bail, seems to have revitalised the party which is eyeing an upset in the Garo Hills region at the cost of the NPP.
The UDP played the role of a keen observer and raised their voice as and when needed on issues that they felt needed attention. The party also slammed the government on many occasion and even demanded the resignation of Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on failing to handle law and order problem twice — an incident of alleged police highhandedness on agitating teachers being one, while the second being Mukroh incident.
Regardless, it always played the card of a victim and like other coalition partners steered itself away from allegations of corruption and irregularities pointing fingers at the government, despite being its part. Nonetheless, the party, undoubtedly, raised its voice on pertinent issues.
The UDP has also seen a fair share of sitting and former legislators making a beeline to join the party fold, which include suspended Congress MLAs PT Sawkmie and Mayralborn Syiem besides HSPDP MLA Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar, who is also a cabinet minister.
Inside sources say the party has even turned down offers from few sitting MLAs to join the party. However, come January and more sitting MLAs and other leaders from various political parties will be joining their fold.
Meanwhile, the TMC has emerged as one of the contenders in the polls, manifesting itself as the change that people of the state seek.
It is taking the NPP-led MDA government head on — from accusing the MDA of various scams and irregularities to challenging them for an open debate.
Quick to counter and raise their voice on any move of the government, the TMC has been on its toes to play the role of a proactive opposition.
TMC’s national spokesperson Saket Gokhale has managed to make himself and the party sensational in Meghalaya politics with him targeting the state government on a number of issues.
Once brimming with confidence with the strength of 12 MLAs, the TMC has gradually found few of the sitting MLAs looking for greener pastures elsewhere including Mawsynram MLA HM Shangplinag. Reports say two to three more may leave their fold.
