SHILLONG, Aug 9: Three Congress MLAs – Gabriel Wahlang, Charles Marngar, and Celestine Lyngdoh – have reportedly decided to join the National People’s Party (NPP).
Their move is said to have deflated the party, which has been euphoric since Saleng A Sangma won the Tura parliamentary seat earlier this year.
Attempts were made to contact the three MLAs. While Nongstoin representative Gabriel Wahlang and his Mawhati counterpart Charles Marngar were unreachable, Umsning’s Celestine Lyngdoh said he was caught up with other issues.
When contacted, Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee president Vincent H Pala said he is in the United States.
Mylliem MLA and the Leader of the Opposition, Ronnie V Lyngdoh did not respond to calls on his mobile phone. Other Congress leaders chose to remain silent on the issue.
It is speculated that Pala was aware of the development before leaving for the United States. This has raised suspicion that Congress in Meghalaya may merge with the NPP.
Some party insiders said the three MLAs took the consent of their grassroots leaders and supporters ahead of taking the call to join the NPP. Marngar, it was learned, decided to quit Congress at the house of former chief minister and senior NPP leader, DD Lapang. The insiders also said the trio plans to join the NPP before the bye-election to the Gambegre Assembly constituency.
The state Congress won five seats in the 2023 Assembly elections. The count came down to four when Saleng Sangma resigned from Gambegre after winning the Tura parliamentary seat.
