Mukul seek AICC’s intervention for course correction on “differences” within the party

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaSeptember 23, 2021

Putting all speculations to rest, former Chief Minister and current Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma on Thursday said he would soon speak to the Congress high command and resolve issues within the four walls of the party.

Addressing media persons, Sangma said that his focus is to ensure that the needed course correction related to internal matters has to be done within the party.

Following the “visible differences” that emerged after the taking over of the Shillong MP Vincent H Pala as president of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee, speculations have been doing the rounds that the CLP leader is likely to quit and join other political parties.

There are reports which also suggested that Sangma is also exploring to float a new regional political party.

The former Chief Minister said, “Yesterday I came to Shillong I was reading the news (related to the speculations) but intentionally it was by choice that I wanted to remain inaccessible because I wanted to talk to leaders in Delhi whom I need to talk to, I don’t want to talk to anybody else.”

“I will press for course correction at an appropriate level within the four walls of our party, that is what I will do,” he added.

Refusing to elaborate on these “issues” which need to be sorted out, Sangma said, “I have maintained that when you want to resolve things, you have to ensure that sometimes you don’t actually dwell on those issues outside the four walls otherwise it will be very difficult to resolve them.”

When asked as to when the AICC is likely to call him to Delhi, the Leader of Opposition said, “This is not going to be a one way exercise obviously it cannot be a one way exercise it is both ways. In fact I have not been picking up phones but today I have started picking up phones because sometimes it is better to keep quiet. I think silence speaks louder than words sometimes.”

The CLP leader along with legislators mainly from Garo Hills region have skipped two important programmes organized by the MPCC which include the joining of former Congress leaders – RG Lyngdoh and PN Syiem, and the felicitation of Pala as new MPCC chief.

Pala, while speaking on the occasion, even revealed that Sangma was not happy with him.

Whether there is any truth in this, the former chief minister said, “If I tell you now, if  I respond to this question then I will be deviating from the way I approach things and the way I look at resolving issues when it is an issue within the party.”

If he would meet the new MPCC president, Sangma however said, “I have made it abundantly clear that I have to talk to the right people within the party, we have our own inherent given system and I will invoke that and I will press for whatever which has to be corrected.”

He also refused to comment on the allegation that Pala is very much interested in working together with the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) in forming the new government in 2023.

“I will not comment on how he (Pala) works… every person has their own way of doing things. Now obviously people know how I handle things, how I deal with issues so also people know other politicians, people know and they will know more of him so that will not be something which I will be willing to elaborate and then you have to ask him,” Sangma said.