SHILLONG, Aug 10: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has claimed that the recent defection of the lone Congress MLA, Ronnie V Lyngdoh, to the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) has liberated the Opposition from what it described as “wolves in sheep’s clothing.”
VPP spokesperson Batskhem Myrboh recalled that since 2023, he had consistently stated that the Congress functioned as a “government in opposition,” with Lyngdoh, then Leader of Opposition, being “part of the government.”
He maintained that he had never counted Congress MLAs as genuine opposition members, arguing that their presence in the Opposition bench deprived others of space to act as a true counterweight to the ruling dispensation.
With Congress now absent from the Opposition, only the VPP and the Trinamool Congress remain on the bench.
According to him, this formal shift has rid the Opposition of pretence and allowed it to operate without obstruction.
He said the Opposition was now “free” and would be stronger, making better use of the Assembly floor than in the past.
“In the absence of Congress in the Opposition, it will be better. At least there will be no wolves in sheep’s clothing. All these while they were Opposition but were with the government,” he asserted.
When asked about concerns that more Opposition MLAs might defect to the ruling side, Myrboh responded that as long as the VPP existed, there would always be an Opposition.
He stressed that opposition to the government was not confined to the Assembly, noting that the party had already demonstrated its role outside the House by raising awareness and galvanising public response.
“Ultimately, it’s the people who are the strong Opposition. As long as we have the VPP and the support of the people, the exit of the Congress MLA will not have any negative impact rather, it will have a positive one,” he said.
