Shillong, April 26 : The adverse effects of the Opposition turning the Meghalaya political situation into an election issue may have led Delhi to adopt a cautious stance in regard to withdrawal of President’s rule in the state.
While the Centre has been treading carefully on the issue, two senior state Congress leaders are in Delhi trying to get the central rule withdrawn to facilitate the formation of a Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance government in the state.
Sources said CLP leader D.D. Lapang has been camping in the national capital for about a week. Another Congress legislator from Garo Hills, Mukul Sangma, joined Lapang to take up the cause of the party with the central leadership.
Lapang, claiming majority support, met the Union home minister P. Chidambaram yesterday and urged him to revoke President’s rule so that a Congress-led government could be formed in the state.
However, this move has evoked criticism from the Nationalist Congress Party.
“How can Lapang camp in Delhi and mislead the Centre about the strength of his group?” the Meghalaya Progressive Alliance secretary, Conrad Sangma, asked.
Speaking to this correspondent, Sangma hoped the UPA, of which the NCP is a partner, would not take any hasty decision to withdraw President’s rule to favour the Congress.
According to Sangma, the Congress-led MUA with 27 members does not have the majority to form the government.
Lapang still considers the four disqualified legislators a part of the MUA, thereby taking its strength to 31, a stand the NCP finds illogical.
“If the Congress at the Centre takes a risk in withdrawing President’s rule only to help the state Congress form the government, the party will have to pay a heavy price at this juncture,” Sangma said, adding that this would become a “big election issue”.
He said the division within the Congress was very evident as one group led by party spokesman R.C. Laloo was negotiating with the UDP to form an alternative government without Lapang.
He also said another group led by Rowell Lyngdoh, the Congress leader from West Khasi Hills, wanted a change of leadership in the Congress so that like-minded parties could form the government.
“However, since Lapang considers this as the last chance to become the chief minister, he is camping in Delhi to get the blessings of the AICC, so that he can continue as the leader,” Sangma said.
On the other hand, the newly elected UDP Legislature Party leader, J.D. Rymbai, will be formally elected as the MPA chairman in a meeting scheduled for Wednesday.