Editor
The recent support extended by the five Congress MLAs to the MDA government brings the party at crossroads. It is a situation where the party is now to choose between staying in the assembly or upholding its internal command.
The statement by MPCC President Vincent Pala seems to suggest that the party is risking a wipeout from the state, at least until 2023, by expelling the five MLAs. However, to look at the sequence of events closely, the current situation is nothing new for the party in Meghalaya. Infighting and powerplay have been dominant narratives of the party even in the past — openly admitted by some leaders — which somehow seem to trample concerns of staying relevant in governance.
In 2020, 23 senior leaders of the Congress had written to Sonia Gandhi demanding major reforms in the party. They had highlighted concerns, starting from unilateral decision-making to members feeling uncertain about their position in the party; seems like it is the same ghost that has come back to haunt the party now.
For the five MLAs, the tone and tenor of dealing with the entire situation seems to suggest that a boat-jump might soon be possible. However, in any emergent scenario, dark clouds seem to be looming over the future of the Congress in the state.
John D Kharkongor, Shillong