SHILLONG: Downplaying the reported move by Opposition Congress for a realignment of the political equation in the state, senior Congress legislator Charles Pyngrope has said that any Congress-NPP truck or Congress-regional parties’ alliance would have to be decided by the leadership of both the parties.
The Congress leader, however, said he was not aware of either NPP or regional parties approaching the party.
“Individual aspirations for a change are different from taking a decision at the leadership level”, he said.
The political situation in Manipur has once again brought to the fore questions regarding the change of political equations in Meghalaya.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on Tuesday, Pyngrope recalled that there has never been a long-term coalition between Congress and NPP or NCP except for a brief period when FA Khonglam was the chief minister.
“NPP and Congress were never together. But it is up to the leadership to decide about any talks of coalition”, he said.
The former Speaker added that in contrary, a coalition of regional parties and Congress was also there in the past.
Regarding the performance of the NPP in the two and a half years since coming to power in 2018, he said that a lot has been left to be desired. He went on to say that the Opposition has a role in opposing the government if the government comes out with a policy which is anti-people.
“In anyway, we have to look at the facts and cannot act based on mere hearsay”, he said.
Asked whether there was any move for a change in CLP leader, he said that it was not articulated and it cannot be assumed. He added that Congress members were comfortable with the current CLP leadership.
