Congress Joins BJP-Backed MDA Coalition in Meghalaya

The Congress party had won 19 seats in the 2018 polls,

In a major political development in Meghalaya, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) on Tuesday, 8 February, decided to join the ruling coalition government – the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA).

The remaining five Congress MLAs, including CLP leader Ampareen Lyngdoh, Mayralborn Syiem, Mohendro Rapsang, Kimfa Marbaniang, and PT Sawkmie signed a letter that was submitted to chief minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday at his chamber.

Following their meeting with the chief minister, the legislators informed mediapersons that the decision was taken “to ensure we have each other’s back”.

All Five Congress MLAs Unanimously Decide to Join Govt

Asked if the AICC was aware of the decision, CLP leader Ampareen Lyngdoh said it was not upon them to decide since they (the five MLAs) have support of the public.

“CLP has decided to join the MDA govt. All five MLAs of Congress have unanimously decided to join the government. We just submitted our letter of support to the MDA,” said Lyngdoh.

Explaining the move to join the ruling alliance, Lyngdoh said it was also to ensure the five of them had each other’s back.

“We are at a juncture of politics where we have to make sure we cover each other’s backs. We are elected representatives from our respective constituencies and we take along the needs of the constituency and the requirements,” said Lyngdoh.

The CLP, in their meeting with the chief minister and deputy chief minister, also discussed the interstate border dispute with Assam.

Showing absolute confidence that Congress is now a 110 percent part of the MDA government, Lyngdoh urged the people to respect their decision.

'We Hope the High Command, the Party Will Listen to Us'

“We are the famous five elected MLAs and if you don’t respect the voice of the elected five MLAs, then what is the point of the party going forward. We are elected by our people and we have taken the authority by ourselves to ensure that we are in a strategic position to ensure that our constituencies do not suffer beyond the four-year period of hardships that we have already felt and experienced,” said Lyngdoh.

Asked if this is an indication that they will be joining NPP, Lyngdoh said that they will not preempt and that they went as a CLP to support the MDA.

“Let’s leave it at that, the speculations will not reach us any way. We feel as elected representatives we have the right to do what we think is best for the five and that’s why we came to this decision. We hope the high command, the party will listen to us since we are the elected members and we are the ones going for election. We are the ones feeling the brunt of this confusion,” said Lyngdoh.

Earlier in November 2021, the Congress party was decimated in Meghalaya after former CM Dr Mukul Sangma, along with 11 other Congress MLAs, formally announced their merger with the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). Sangma’s move left the Congress with just five MLAs.

The party, which had won 19 seats in the 2018 polls, also lost two seats to the ruling National People’s Party in by-elections, which were necessitated following the death of sitting Congress legislators.

(Published in arrangement with EastMojo)