Pala takes full responsibility for poll debacle, alleges ruling of compensating rebel candidates

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 15, 2021

MPCC chief Vincent H Pala took full responsibility for the disastrous defeat faced by the Congress in the just concluded Assembly bypolls.

“I could not prevent rebel candidates. I take full responsibility for all the failures and the defeat,” Pala said.

The Congress had witnessed a major setback when it lost the Mawryngkneng and Rajabala seats to the ruling National People’s Party and Mawphlang to the United Democratic Party in the recently held bye elections.

Pala said it was very unfortunate that rebels from within the party were the main cause that led to the defeat.  

“Our own MDCs, one from Garo Hills and one from Khasi Hills and our own office bearers contested as rebel candidates. Had they not contested, we would have won the elections,” he regretted.

He also claimed that the Congress’ vote share has increased in all the three constituencies compared to the NPP and the UDP adding “this shows that the people of the state are with the Congress but unfortunately I just joined on September 18 and election was declared on September 28, I could not prevent rebel candidates.”

On the other hand, the Congress chief said the ruling party will always have an edge in any bypolls.

“When we were in power we also won many of the elections. All over India also the trend is like that because people still expect to get something from the ruling for their villages and areas, people expect maybe there are lots of schemes pending and all which the present government had promised them and it is half done and if candidates win they can manage to clear all those. So normally that is the perception of the voters,” he said.

Disapproving that infighting within the Congress had led to the poll debacle, Pala said, “It is not infighting within the party actually people defected from the Congress. For example, a senior member and MDC Lamphrang Blah defected and fought the election from Mawphlang, another MDC from Garo Hills Ashahel D Shira also came out to fight from Rajabala and senior secretary of the block (Norbert Marboh) left to try his luck…this is not infighting.”

The Shillong MP further accused the ruling NPP of misusing its power during the bypolls.

“If they (ruling party) cannot do anything to divide the Congress, I am sorry to say maybe compensate them (Congress rebel candidates) to fight the elections. Therefore, we would have won if our own people would not have fought against us,” he said.

Slamming the government for also misusing its power in the Rajabala bypolls, Pala said, “They (Govt) have arrested almost 170 of the Congress workers, they have harassed them, beaten them and put them in jail, so normally the village people will be scared and they did not do to the other side. Apart from that, that constituency also people are very poor compared to other constituencies. When they throw money, they are easily convinced with that.”

Meanwhile, the MPCC chief expressed confidence that the Congress will come back to power in 2023.

“I have no doubt that we will be able to secure an absolute majority this time because as of now people of the state, if you see in social media, they are fed up with the present state government,” he said.

“Forget about corruption, look at the price rise, the power centralized to only a few ministers and few leaders of the party, I don’t think they have done much for the last five years,” he added.

Pala also maintained that though the Congress had lost the election it had not lost the spirit to fight.

He informed that he would be touring the Garo Hills region from January 17 to 23 as part of preparing the party for the Assembly polls.

Stating that it is too early to talk of a pre-poll alliance, Pala said, “Normally, that initiative will be taken by the party high command.”