Opp united on issues concerning people: Cong

By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 24: The three opposition parties — Congress, TMC and VPP — are yet to reach a consensus on the issue of the leader of opposition, but when it comes to issues concerning the people and the state, the trio stands united. Congress Legislature Party leader, Ronnie V Lyngdoh made the assertion while dismissing the perception that the opposition parties are divided.
“We only do not have a leader of opposition, otherwise we are all united in our views when it comes to the interests of the people,” he told reporters on Friday.
The three parties have their own political identities and one should not come to the conclusion that the parties are divided, he said.
Reminded that the opposition will not be a formidable force in the absence of a proper forum, Lyngdoh said they meet informally as opposition members and then take up issues in the House.
Asked if the Congress will back the decision of the VPP to hit the streets since they were not being given enough opportunities to raise issues in the Assembly, he said the Congress will take a decision shortly.  Congress MLA from Umsning, Celestine Lyngdoh also lamented that the number of days allotted for the Budget session was hardly enough.
“There was a request from the government to cut short the session to give scope and time to the officers to complete the process of financial year ending,” he recalled, while adding that there was an agreement during the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee that time will be extended on any day if required.
“However, this was not respected when the MLA from Nongkrem requested for an extension,” the Congress MLA added.