Shillong, Oct 26: Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Vincent H Pala has described former minister Paul Lyngdoh as a “wounded lion” following his move from the United Democratic Party (UDP) to the National People’s Party (NPP).
Reacting to the political realignment involving 11 former UDP legislators, three of whom joined the NPP and eight the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Pala said the legislators who opted for the BJP had done so in the hope of political gains, but questioned whether the party would deliver on its promises. He also predicted that the new BJP legislators will eventually be disappointed with the party.
“Many of them have joined the BJP based on dreams and hopes, but I have seen that the BJP never keeps its promises and hopes and dreams. I am sure by 2028 people will deliver that hope to the MLAs,” Pala said on Monday.
On Lyngdoh’s decision to join the NPP, Pala recalled the former minister’s political journey and the setbacks he had faced within the UDP, comparing him to a wounded lion.
Pala said Lyngdoh had performed well after joining the UDP but had subsequently faced another setback within the party, prompting his latest political move.
“He is a wounded lion after he was shot by his own party at the beginning with a bow and arrow (referencing his stint with KHNAM), and then he joined the UDP under the drum and performed well, but again another shot. So he is a wounded lion,” Pala said. KHNAM (the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement) is a Khasi acronym meaning arrow while the UDP symbol is the drum.
He added that Lyngdoh’s future in the NPP would depend on how the party treated him, while leaving open the question of whether he would be accommodated in the state cabinet.
“Let us see how the lion will do in the NPP. I am expecting that he should do well. Whether he will be a minister or not, we are yet to see,” Pala said.
The Congress leader also drew a parallel with the Trinamool Congress (TMC), claiming that several leaders who had joined the party (from the Congress) with high expectations eventually became disillusioned.
He suggested that a similar situation could arise among the former UDP legislators who have now aligned themselves with the BJP.
“If the promises will not be there, then I think they may go. Many joined the TMC with high hopes, but towards the end, none of them came back except for one or two. The same thing will happen to them,” Pala said.
