SHILLONG:
The Congress is expecting the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) to make the offer for working together as a ‘united opposition’ in the Assembly.
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Ronnie V Lyngdoh told reporters it is clear that 10 legislators are required for appointment of Leader of Opposition but none of the three opposition parties fulfill the criteria, as both Congress and TMC have five legislators each, while Voice of the People party has four.
“Some have asked me why not work with the TMC, but the offer or request has to come from their end,” Lyngdoh said, adding that “When such a request has not been made [by the TMC], we also don’t feel it right to just make the offer…”
Lyngdoh noted that Congress and TMC are not allied in Parliament, which poses a problem for any alliance in Meghalaya.
“However, if the request or offer comes we will think about it,” Lyngdoh stated.
Lyngdoh still refused to admit that the opposition parties are weak in view of the disunity among them in the Assembly, retorting, “You have just witnessed in the just concluded Assembly we had raised issues concerning the state even in the absence of a Leader of Opposition.”
Meanwhile, the Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma is still consulting on the issue before taking a final decision.