By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 20: The Congress in Meghalaya is facing internal turmoil over whether Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Vincent H Pala should continue or be replaced, as calls for a leadership change grow louder within the party.
Contrary to reports suggesting that only senior leader Pynshngain N. Syiem is seeking Pala’s removal, several party leaders — speaking on condition of anonymity — have clarified that the demand for change is widely shared among party workers and supporters.
According to these leaders, a leadership overhaul is essential if the Congress hopes to revive its fortunes in the state.
They claimed that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has already shortlisted four potential candidates — two from Khasi-Jaintia Hills and two from Garo Hills — to replace Pala.
“It is misleading to say that there is no one to step into Pala’s shoes. Apart from the veterans, there are several new faces ready to take up the challenge of rebuilding the party,” a section of leaders told The Shillong Times on Monday.
They further revealed that several District Congress Committees (DCCs) and Block Congress Committees (BCCs) have formally communicated the need to replace Pala if the party is serious about putting up a strong fight in the 2028 Assembly elections.
These leaders warned that if the AICC continues to delay the appointment of a new MPCC chief, many loyalists might quit the party, as they see no future under Pala’s leadership.
“No one can deny that the Congress in Meghalaya is at its lowest point — it has no MLA in the Assembly and no MDC in the KHADC,” they observed.
They added that Pala should have stepped down voluntarily, accepting moral responsibility for the party’s decline from being a political powerhouse to its current weakened state.
The Congress’s downfall in Meghalaya began soon after Pala assumed charge as MPCC president in August 2021. That same year, the party lost 12 MLAs, including former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, who defected to the Trinamool Congress.
Later, five MLAs were suspended for supporting the NPP-led MDA government and subsequently joined other parties ahead of the 2023 elections. Following the polls, several Congress MDCs from the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) also defected to the NPP.
Subsequently, three former MLAs — Celestine Lyngdoh, Gabriel Wahlang, and Charles Marngar — joined the ruling NPP, followed by Mylliem MLA Ronnie V. Lyngdoh, leaving the Congress without a single MLA in the state Assembly.
“We are surprised he is still continuing. He should have realised that he failed to hold the party together,” one leader remarked.
Meanwhile, the Meghalaya Pradesh Mahila Congress (MPMC) has expressed shock and disappointment over recent media reports suggesting discontent with Pala’s leadership.
MPMC president Joplyn Scott Shylla said the reports were “completely untrue” and appeared to be part of a “deliberate attempt by certain political sections to malign his image and destabilize the party’s growing momentum.”
She asserted that despite earlier setbacks, the Congress under Pala’s “able and committed leadership” has been regaining public trust, revitalizing grassroots networks, and re-energizing women and youth cadres across the state.
“It is unfortunate that instead of supporting this positive revival, some vested interests are attempting to create confusion and sow discord through baseless rumours,” Shylla said.
The Mahila Congress reaffirmed its full faith in Pala’s leadership and urged party members and the public not to be misled by false narratives.
“We stand firmly behind Vincent Pala and will continue supporting the Congress in its mission to serve the people of Meghalaya with integrity and commitment,” the MPMC president added.
Congress toils for revival
On the other hand, the Congress, which steadily lost ground in Meghalaya in the wake of the emergence of National People’s Party (NPP), is working hard for revival.
The Congress is confident that it will manage to regain the lost ground ahead of next Assembly elections in 2028.
“We will again be a force to be reckoned with,” a party source said confidently on Monday.
According to the source, the Congress will project itself as an alternative to the NPP.
Several Cabinet Ministers were axed unceremoniously recently and the Congress is trying to cash in on the situation.
Recollection
The Congress’ slide in Meghalaya began in November 2021 when 12 of its MLAs, led by former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, merged themselves with the All India Trinamool Congress.
In due course, five others were suspended by the party for supporting the NPP-led government. They contested the 2023 Assembly elections on the tickets of different political parties.
Despite the setback, the Congress managed to bag 5 seats but four of them joined the NPP later. The fifth, Saleng A Sangma, got elected to the Lok Sabha from Tura in 2024, necessitating a by-election to the Gambegre Assembly seat that the NPP won.
Currently, the Congress has no representation in the Assembly.
