5 MLAs to soon take a call on Congress’ suspension order

“We will take a call when the time is right. We have nothing against the Congress leadership. But when the leaders of the party shut the door on your face then we will be forced to make our own decision when the time is right,” Lyngdoh said.

Stating that they are yet to receive any official communication about the suspension order, she however maintained that they are not planning to join other political parties at the moment.

“We are not planning to join anyone. We are part of the MDA government, we will focus on that. We will try to get as much benefits as possible for our respective constituencies through this coalition that we are in. All five of us are on the same page that we will perform our duties as MLAs and we will continue to prepare for our elections,” East Shillong MLA said.

On Wednesday, the Congress had decided to suspend Lyngdoh along with four MLAs – Kimfa S Marbaniang (Rambrai-Jyrngam), Mohendro Rapsang (West Shillong), PT Sawkmie (Mawlai) and Mayralborn Syiem (Nongpoh) for anti-party activities after they supported the BJP-backed MDA government.

Terming the party’s decision “strange”, Lyndgoh said that the five legislators were under the impression that they have been suspended since January this year.  She also questioned if the suspension order issued to them in January was without the authority of the high command.

“Do you mean to tell me that the suspension order issued to us in January was without authority, I mean did they suddenly get approval now but at that time they had taken subsequently so many actions so we leave the matter as it is suspended in animation,” she said

The former CLP leader informed that the five legislators had written to the MPCC in January, this year that they were going to be part of the MDA government. “We had sought their consent over and above and everything else but there was absolutely no communication coming forward from their end, nobody replied to our letter. The AICC did not reply to our letter,” she said.

She continued, “When no letter came forward from them, we were given an impression that it was fine so we met the CM, deputy CM and several other ministers and had a discussion which concluded in the MDA inviting us to join their government. Soon after that we were surprised when we were show cause and suspended by the party.”

Lyngdoh further clarified that the five MLAs felt it not necessary to respond to the show cause because “we felt that there were enough debates, discussions, and dialogues on the issue.” She also recalled that during a meeting to discuss the issue of supporting the MDA, the members of the district councils as well as the legislative assembly, who were for joining the MDA government were in a greater number than those who were against the idea.

“If the Congress is a democratic party, then we ideally should have listened to the voice where there were more representations because we have talked about it and there were pertinent issues that were anyways evolving at that point of time,” she said.

Lyngdoh further alleged that after receiving the show cause and suspension order in January, immediately the block presidents were removed overnight without consulting the MLAs.

“They (AICC) changed and replaced our block presidents and subsequently in my constituency the same block president in three days started campaigning as a Congress candidate so you can imagine the confusion that has arisen. This has also happened in other constituencies, she said while adding “Now how do you deal with a suspension that did not give an opportunity for any intervention by any other party representation, nobody came from Delhi, nobody called us, it was as if the PCC did whatever they wanted.”

When asked, the East Shillong legislator said that the Congress had taken a one-sided action.

“I thought suspension means don’t take any further action that is what the word suspension means so how can anyone take any other action I don’t understand. In this case it is a one sided action taken. We have taken no action but it seems as if the PCC has decided a lot of things and clearly they don’t want us to be a part of the party anymore,” she said.

As to what would be their next course of action, Lyngdoh said definitely all the five legislators will contest the 2023 elections to retain their respective seats.

“Of course I will contest the 2023 elections. What gives them the impression that because we are not going to be offered the ticket from the Congress any longer that we should not pursue our political careers that we have nurtured for so many years for so long,” she said.

Meanwhile, the former CLP leader also reminded that the five legislators had decided to support the MDA government based on issues that include the long pending boundary issue. She informed that the two of the Congress MLAs were also part of the regional committees constituted by the MDA government as part of resolving the border issue.

“When our members and colleagues of the party were already part of the regional committees, we feel it would be in the fitness of things to be part of that MDA government so that any observation, any further decision taken on the border issue would be in line with what our members had contributed in those regional committees especially in those hearings that were conducted and the subsequent discussions that followed the hearings,” she said.

She further cited that the split within the Congress had also led them to decide to be with the government.

“We also thought that in the opposition, there would be a split wherein 12 members would now be part of the TMC and the remaining 5 of us would be remaining as Congress. We had an Assembly session that was coming up and we had to take a call as to we wanted to remain part of the opposition which in anyways we were in direct conflict because of the split in the Congress or should we go to the MDA and support the MDA in all of the agendas we thought were pertinent,” she said.

By Our Reporter