Pala exudes confidence of win in Assembly bypolls, says real test will be in 2023

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaOctober 3, 2021

Opposition Congress chief Vincent H Pala on Saturday exuded confidence that the party will win the bye-elections to the three Assembly seats even as he said that the real test for him will be in 2023.

“I don’t think that the bye-election is a test for me (as the new MPCC chief) as the real test will be in the 2023 Assembly elections,” Pala told journalists after a PEC meeting to finalize candidates for the bypolls slated for October 30.

Asked, the Shillong MP said that he is very confident that the party will win the bypolls in all the three seats – Mawryngkneng, Mawphlang and Rajabala.

On the party’s agenda for the bypolls, he said everyone has seen the performance of the present NPP-led MDA government.

To another query, Pala said that he does not think that the allegation about MLAs leaving the Congress will affect the party’s performance during the elections.

“… Dr Mukul has given a statement as of now I don’t think we will have any problem going to the election,” he said.

According to him, not a single MLA has left the party so far despite speculation. He said everybody has attended the PEC meeting held today for finalizing the names of the candidates for the bypolls.

On Mawphlang MDC Lamphrang Blah’s decision to quit the party and join the NPP for contesting the bye-election, Pala however said, “I think he (Blah) is a nice man. For 20 years he has served the people. It is not that he left the party because he was not happy with the party, he left the party because he wanted to try his luck. We respect him. We put him as leader in the KHADC, there is no reason for him to be unhappy with the party as we have given him the top post in the district council.”

“He will try his luck.  Let’s see what the people of Mawphlang have to say, his destiny will be decided by the people of Mawphlang but it has nothing to do with the Congress,” he further stated.