SHILLONG:
Congress MDC from Malki-Laitumkhrah Fantin Joseph Lakadong has decided to quit the party and join the National People’s Party (NPP) giving rise to speculation that his wife and Congress leader and East Shillong MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh may also follow suit.
Ampareen told The Meghalayan that she had tried to convince her husband to stay in the party, but his supporters were adamant that he leaves.
“At present there is a lot of turmoil within the Congress and joining the NPP, he believes, will help to bring in development in his constituency and hence he has decided to take the step,” Ampareen said.
She also said that Lakadong was a leader in his own right and nothing bars him from changing sides.
She, however, said that being the CLP leader she would remain in the party and try to change the current situation in the Congress.
Many supporters of Lakadong were seen outside his house on Thursday afternoon.
However, Lakadong’s decision has also made some Congress leaders wonder whether Ampareen would go her husband’s way.
“We doubt she would still contest on a Congress ticket in 2023. Maybe the decision taken by Lakadong was to pave the way for her to join the NPP ahead of the Assembly polls next year,” a Congress leader on request of anonymity said on Thursday.
Sources alleged that other Congress MLAs may also join other political parties ahead of the 2023 elections. There is speculation that Mawlai MLA P T Sawkmie may also leave the Congress and join the UDP before the 2023 assembly polls.
The Congress, which initially had 17 MLAs in the 60-member House, was reduced to five MLAs after 12 MLAs joined the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC).
The NPP’s strength in the KHADC will go up to 10 once Lakadong joins the party. The NPP is part of the 21-member United Democratic Alliance (UDA) led by the United Democratic Party (UDP).