SHILLONG, March 3: The two HSPDP MLAs who decided to throw their weight behind NPP, slipped out of the opposition meeting on Friday on the pretext of having tea.
Before anybody could realise, they walked over to Conrad’s camp.
Party chiefs and MLAs of UDP, Congress, TMC, HSPDP, and PDF gathered at the house of outgoing home minister and UDP MLA Lahkmen Rymbui in the city on Friday for the purpose of forging a coalition.
As informed it was decided by everyone to stake claim with the numbers reaching 31. However the two HSPDP MLAs, Methodius Dkhar and Shakliar Warjri upset their calculations. While the rest of the group waited for hours and the HSPDP chief was seen frantically making calls, the two “reappeared” but only in a photograph extending their support to the NPP-BJP combine.
Opposition efforts ended for the day on disappointing note with the HSPDP chief still hoping to reach out to the party MLAs and turn them back.
“I was contacted by all the political parties since yesterday after the results came out and they felt that it will be wise that we be together”, he informed. The only outcome of the meeting is that they decided to identify a person from each political party to represent for further discussion on this matter,” said UDP chief and outgoing Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh.
Informing that they are yet to take any decision on staking claim, he said, “We have not discussed to form the government. Basically we wanted to meet except one or two who are not here. All the political parties here today expressed to be together.”
He also said that going by those who have attended the meeting and expressed themselves, the number stood at 31.
He however informed that there has been no communication from the NPP to be a part of their coalition.
Asked if the UDP is ready to sit in the opposition, he said that is a decision which they will be deciding after thorough discussion in the party.
Meanwhile, HSPDP chief, KP Pangniang said, “The whole day we were here with them and they did not inform such intention and “that is why we are so surprised to find out that they have (quietly) left this place”.
“As of now, we have no decision on how to deal with the situation. We will sit as a party and decide,” a visibly perturbed Pangniang said.
Meanwhile, VPP chief, Ardent M Basaiawmoit said, “As political parties we met today to explore the possibility of forming the government without the NPP. So we are still exploring the possibility”.
Asked about the total strength in numbers they possess, he said, “28 if I am not mistaken. There is some feeling that we would like to have a non-NPP government.”
