SHILLONG, DEC 15: Suspended Congress legislator Pynshngain N Syiem today resigned as member to the ninth Meghalaya Legislative Assembly even as he is all set to join and lead the newly floated People Democratic Front (PDF) on December 19.
Syiem, a two-time MLA from Mawsynram constituency, tendered his resignation from his seat before the Assembly Speaker Abu Taher Mondal at the Assembly secretariat in the city here on Friday.
“I hereby tender my resignation of my seat in the House with immediate effect from December 15, 2017,” Syiem said in the letter.
His resignation also came a day after the three-day winter session of the current Assembly which is its final sitting before the state goes for fresh elections next year. The term of the present House is due to expire on March 6.
Syiem, who is also the chief executive member of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), is the first to take the lead to resign as MLA from amongst the sitting legislators, who are leaving the Congress to join other parties ahead of the 2018 polls.
He was one of the Congress legislators who openly rebelled against Chief Minister Mukul Sangma especially on issue pertaining to the anti-dual post Act brought by the state government and was put under suspension for three years.
The five other Congress legislators, including four former cabinet ministers, have come out declaring they would seek re-elections from the National People’s Party (NPP).
They include deputy chief minister Rowell Lyngdoh, cabinet ministers Prestone Tynsong, Sniawbhalang Dhar and Comingone Ymbon and Umroi MLA Ngaitlang Dhar. Like Syiem, all have also announced that they would resign after the Assembly’s session.
Speaking to reporters after his resignation, Syiem immediately announced that he would be officially joining the People Democratic Front (PDF) at a grand function to be held at Polo Ground on December 19.
Stating that he would also contest on a PDF ticket in the ensuing elections, he said, “My intention to join the new party to see new things in the state after the present ruling Congress-led government had failed miserably in all fronts.”
He said that despite the state has so much potentiality in many sectors including tourism and mining but due to lack of policies people especially the youth end up being educated but unemployed.
Admitting that he had earlier proposed to resign in July this year, the Mawsynram legislator said that he however decided to attend the last sitting of the Assembly to raise various issues concerning the state.
He however denied the allegation that the delay to resign was due to fear of not getting the MLA schemes besides salary.
Asked, Syiem said that he need not resign as member of district council because there is no tenth schedule and that he would continue to be chief executive member of the KHADC.
“However my second step now will be to resign from the Congress party,” he said while adding the day he resigns from the party, the question of suspension for three years will come to a close.
Earlier, the Speaker informed that he would definitely accept the resignation of the member as per rules and conduct of business of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.
Quoting the rules, Mondal said, “A member who desire to resign his seat from the Assembly shall intimate in writing under his hand address to the Speaker his intention to resign the seat in the Assembly and shall not give any reason for his resignation.”
Asked, he said that whenever a member resigns, if the House is in session the letter would be read out and if there is no possibility for a House to be in session, it shall be notified in the official gazette.
Syiem in his letter had not cited any reason for his resignation and said that the step taken by him was “voluntary”.
By Our Reporter
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