SHILLONG:
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Ampareen Lyngdoh on Friday said that she
will not leave her party like a “thief in the night”.
“I am a Congress legislator and won from East Shillong. I will not leave through the backdoor nor will I enter through a ventilator in anyone's house. I will deal with my insecurities that are currently very strong, but I will not leave my party like a thief in the night. Most importantly I will not deceive my supporters and do my duties to my party as assigned,” Lyngdoh said.
She was reacting to speculations that she could join the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls. Her comments also come a day after her husband, who is the MDC from Malki-Laitumkhrah, Fantin Joseph Lakadong, decided to quit the Congress and join the NPP.
Lyngdoh, however, maintained that the MDC is an elected leader and his argument has merit beyond her command.
“In his maiden tenure as MDC he is feeling the pinch as far as development projects are
concerned. His constituency covers five MLA constituencies and his needs go beyond the
purview of East Shillong constituency,” she said.
“Further, in previous terms I never tied my MDCs down to conform to unreasonable diktats.
There have been decisions taken by our previous MDCs that were detrimental to my political career, yet I never gagged nor disturbed them, because in effect we were both serving our citizens though with diverse approach. At that time, no party stepped in to correct or give advice on such decisions. However, that chapter of my career is closed and lessons learnt have enriched me,” she added.
On the allegation that more Congress leaders would be leaving the party, the CLP leader,
however, said she would not like to comment on any exodus.
“I am averse to the idea of ganging up against anyone and will not engage in any such action. I have not ditched my party nor will I till the end of my term. I will not encourage anyone to leave nor will I be party to these group movements which project a follower character. I am a leader and will lead when a situation demands,” she said while hoping that her decision as a leader will not cause confusion, but help consolidation.
Speculations of other Congress leaders joining other political parties ahead of the 2023
elections are doing the rounds.
The Congress which initially had 17 MLAs in the 60-member House was reduced to five MLAs after it suffered a huge setback with the merger of 12 MLAs to the All India Trinamool
Congress (AITC).
Meanwhile, Lakadong on Friday said his decision to join the NPP was as per the advice of his supporters.
“The party leaders and workers have made me win and made me MDC. They are the ones who decide on my behalf,” he told reporters.
“They (workers) have convinced me that Congress will reach nowhere so I think I will have to go with them,” he said.
With his joining, the NPP’s strength will go up to 10 in the 30-member KHADC. The party is
part of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA)-led executive committee led by the United
Democratic Party (UDP), which has 7 MDCs. The other constituents of the UDA include 2
HSPDP, 1 PDF and 2 Independents.