SHILLONG, March 28: Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee president Vincent H Pala on Monday said the party is planning to set up candidates in all the 60 constituencies in the 2023 assembly polls.
“We are holding consultation with regard to some sort of understanding. But our target is to set up candidates in all the constituencies,” Pala said, putting up a brave face in spite of the series of setbacks faced by the grand old party in Meghalaya.
Asked about the understanding, he said, “We are yet to deliberate in details on this. It is too premature to talk anything on this.”
On the status of the five suspended MLAs, the State Congress chief said a final decision will be taken by the party high command.
“The MPCC leadership held discussions today on the show-cause notice served on the five suspended MLAs. We will submit a report to the AICC on the failure of the suspended MLAs to reply to the show-cause notice,” Pala said, adding that the AICC has its own mechanism to decide on the action to be taken against the suspended MLAs.
On the resignation of Rambrai-Jyrngam MDC, Bajop Pyngrope on Monday, the MPCC chief said he had met Pyngrope and explained the position of the party with regard to suspension of the five MLAs.
“We had made it clear that the party cannot be part of any government of which the BJP is an integral part. But all the five MLAs were adamant that they would not withdraw their support to the NPP-led MDA Government,” Pala said.
He was, however, hopeful that suspension of the five MLAs and Pyngrope’s exit from the Congress would be a blessing for the party since it would be able to reorganise itself.
“We have managed to reconstitute the Block Congress Committees in Mawlai and Laitumkhrah. We will soon reconstitute the Block Congress in Nongpoh. We are not finding any difficulty in getting candidates to contest from the constituencies represented by the five suspended MLAs,” Pala added.
