5 Congress MLAs may join other political parties: HSPDP

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaFebruary 10, 2022

HSPDP leader and cabinet minister Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar on Thursday said that the decision of the five Congress legislators to join the MDA government is because they are planning for the 2023 Assembly polls.

“I truly believe that the plan is for the next election. If I am not wrong they may not contest from the Congress in 2023,” Tongkhar told reporters when asked about the recent support extended by the Congress MLAs to the MDA government.

The HSPDP leader also expressed full faith and trust in the leadership of the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.

“I am happy that we get more and more MLAs into our group and I truly believe in the wisdom of the chief minister who had attracted others to also join the MDA government,” he said.

Stating that accepting the Congress to be part of the MDA government will not affect the relationship among the coalition partners, Tongkhar said, “He (CM) understands that we are there at the times of need so I don’t think it will affect any parties since now we are approaching the end of the term and we have worked so hard in the last four years to cooperate and coordinate with all the partners so I truly believe it will not affect us as we will continue to work together till the end of the term even though others joining the MDA.”

On the other hand, Tongkhar said that the fate of the Congress may depend on the new faces if all its five legislators are contesting from other political parties in the upcoming 2023 Assembly polls.  

“And it is difficult to predict whether the new faces can really bring change…,”he said.

When asked, the cabinet minister said, “It is surprising to people that Congress and BJP are together in MDA government but as I said from before that their plan in 2023, I am sure BJP also understands and they know that the Congress coming to join MDA it is just showing that Congress has been reduced to zero. So we know the target of the BJP is to wipe out the Congress from the country…we know BJP will be happy to see that Congress is wiped out.”

He however said that it may not be possible for the BJP and the Congress to work together had the MDA government been led by the saffron party.