Former Congress legislator claims party leaders losing faith in Pala’s leadership

SHILLONG, May 5: More trouble is in store for the State Congress — firstly, with Leader of Opposition Ronnie V Lyngdoh missing from action during the party’s campaigns for the Lok Sabha elections and secondly, the last of the remaining Congress leaders slowly losing faith in MPCC president and incumbent Shillong MP, Vincent H Pala.
A former Congress legislator, who did not wish to be named, told The Shillong Times that the Congress got destroyed in Meghalaya mainly because of the ego of two people — Ronnie V Lyngdoh and Vincent H Pala — and their individual differences. The former party leader said the Congress leadership should have understood the implications of putting these two individuals against each other at the cost of the party.
“Now we have a situation here where the people are eager to see the defeat of a sitting MP just for the revival of the Congress,” the former party leader said.
According to the former leader, “The sitting MP (Pala) was instrumental in destroying the Congress. Which sane person would want to be a leader without grassroots support? This approach of the AICC proved detrimental. The ones who didn’t want to leave eventually exited the party and even suspended the ones who remained.”
“Where can we see such kind of political suicide when in fact this was the best Congress team that the people had anticipated to revive the party? It was the AICC’s lack of understanding in bringing a person like Vincent Pala to lead the charge in Meghalaya. Pala hardly knows politics as he understands business. You cannot do politics and business at the same time,” the former Congress leader said.
Talking about the MP elections, the former Congress leader said, “The Leader of the Opposition was missing during the campaigns. His silence during the campaign indicates that there is something still wrong within the Congress team.”
The former MLA also pointed out that during the course of the campaign, supporters of the LO from Mylliem constituency left the Congress to join the NPP. Whether they were disgruntled with his leadership or were unhappy with the Congress leadership or the posturing of the party are questions that need to be answered.”
“There are still chances of revival of the Congress and now it is up to the AICC to understand that Meghalaya is the only state where we can see a resurgence of the Congress. If AICC fails to understand this and still ill treats its the earnest leader who wants to serve the party then it is just like playing second fiddle to the BJP,” the former Congress leader said.