SHILLONG: Five Congress legislators did not take the application forms to seek party ticket though Friday was the last day for getting the applications.
A party source said on Friday that the legislators who did not take the application forms include former deputy chief minister from Mawkyrwat Rowell Lyngdoh, suspended Congress legislator and KHADC CEM P N Syiem representing Mawsynram, Prestone Tynsong (Pynursla), Sniawbhalang Dhar (Nartiang) and Ngaitlang Dhar (Umroi).
Hence, currently it is clear that five Congress legislators will not seek re-election from the party.
The Congress had already dissolved the block committees represented by Rowell, Tynsong, and Dhar brothers with a plan to field fresh candidates.
The decision of the five legislators not to seek the Congress ticket was following the party’s aggressive stand against them.
While the KHADC CEM was a critic of the chief minister and the government, Rowell had faced the wrath of the Congress leadership as he questioned the functioning of the government and the party so that the Congress can take corrective steps.
Though there was a demand for change of leadership in 2015-16 from the rebel Congress legislators, the AICC did not prefer to carry out any change.
A rebel legislator said that the move of some Congress legislators to come out of the party was due to the delay on the part of AICC to take corrective steps in the run up to the polls.
There were media reports that while the KHADC CEM is set to join PDF, other four legislators may opt for NPP.
A party leader said that over hundred application forms were collected from the MPCC office by ticket aspirants to contest 60 seats after the distribution of forms began on August 31.
The last date for submission of applications to the respective Block Congress Committees is October 4.
As per the schedule, the last date for BCCs to submit the list of screened applications to their respective district Congress committees is October 31.
The last date for the district units to submit the list of recommended candidates to MPCC is on November 22.
The screening of recommended candidates by MPCC will be held on November 30.
