By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 14: Cracks within the United Democratic Party are no longer confined to closed-door meetings.
Questions over whether the party still practices the democracy embedded in its name have become public, triggered by concerns the party’s working president and West Shillong MLA Paul Lyngdoh raised.
He underlined that democracy, at its core, allows space for differing opinions and the free expression of views, and that a political party cannot be described as democratic unless its grassroots workers are meaningfully involved in the decision-making process.
Lyngdoh maintained that the party does not belong only to elected representatives such as MPs, MLAs, or MDCs, but also to senior leaders and long-serving workers whose opinions must be taken into account.
Clarifying that his stand is not limited to a single issue, he stressed that all decisions taken by the party must be fair, proper, and consultative.
He questioned the practice of engaging grassroots workers only during election campaigns while disregarding their voices during non-election periods, and asserted that their relevance does not end once polls are over.
Lyngdoh further indicated that decisions affecting the state should not be taken solely by elected members, noting that in several political parties, even leaders who are not elected representatives play decisive roles.
The remarks come amid visible signs of unease within the UDP, with several members unhappy over how recent decisions have been handled by the party leadership. Lyngdoh acknowledged that different sections of the party remain dissatisfied, maintaining that such matters ideally require internal discussion.
Meanwhile, speculation has intensified over his political future, with talk of a possible exit from the UDP and a potential move to the National People’s Party. No official confirmation has been made so far.
The current disquiet traces back to his removal from the Cabinet, a decision widely perceived within party circles as being influenced by the party’s top leadership rather than an assessment of performance.
The unease was further compounded when, just four days before the Cabinet reshuffle, the UDP observed its foundation day, during which party president Metbah Lyngdoh stated that there were no plans for any reshuffle.
Another UDP leader who lost his ministerial berth, Kyrmen Shylla, is understood to have accepted the decision and chosen to move forward.
However, the broader discontent within the UDP remains palpable, signalling that the storm within the party continues to grapple with issues of leadership, trust, transparency, and internal democracy.
