SHILLONG:
The Congress in Meghalaya is not surprised at all at the exit of two suspended legislators who resigned as members of the state assembly and have joined the ruling National People’s Party (NPP), terming their decision as nothing but joining the bandwagon of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“It was not a surprise for us by their decision because they have wanted to be part of the MDA government along with the BJP and its partners. So their decision to join the NPP is the same as joining the BJP in the MDA,” Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Vincent H Pala said on December 20 while reacting to the joining of former East Shillong MLA, Ampareen Lyngdoh and former West Shillong MLA, Mohendro Rapsang in the NPP.
Pala said that the Congress was already prepared for this and had projected good candidates from the two constituencies.
“They were supposed to be strong candidates of the Congress but it is unfortunate that they want to join with the BJP. If they think that joining hands with the BJP is good for them we have no objection and we have nothing to say but it is nothing new to us,” he added.
He said it is not a setback to the Congress since the party already has good candidates.
Referring to Lyngdoh’s statement that the Congress had shown the door to the five suspended MLAs, the MPCC chief however said, “Shown the door in the sense that they wanted to have a connection with the BJP. How can the Congress tolerate the BJP? Never in India where the Congress has worked with the BJP, so the door is not shown but the door is open, closed, locked and everything done by them has nothing to do with us. They have joined the government and the government is led by the BJP and the NPP. They are all eating from the same plate.”
He further reiterated that the joining of the two former MLAs in the NPP will not at all affect the Congress in the upcoming 2023 polls.