The Congress in the State appears to be heading for a split if no timely intervention is made by the high command to sort out the internal frictions in the party.
Ever since Shillong MP, Vincent Pala was named as the new State party president, there had been murmurs of discontent among party workers especially from the Dr. Mukul Sangma camp.
The absence of Dr. Sangma who is the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader along with seven party MLAs from Garo Hills from yesterday’s official party function to welcome Pala as the new party chief has caused a flutter. Two other MLAs from Khasi Hills were also conspicuous by their absence.
This is the second time that Dr. Sangma and his MLAs gave a miss to party functions after Pala became party chief. The first was on September 16 during the welcoming of former MLAs – Robert G. Lyngdoh and Pynshngain N. Syiem – besides three other new entrants.
Everyone knows that Pala and Dr. Sangma were not on good terms for quite some time. The fact that the Shillong MP was anointed as State party president by the high command has added to the internal discord in the party.
Dr. Sangma and majority of party MLAs have been rooting for senior Congress MLA Charles Pyngrope for the post of State party president.
However, when the high command decided to appoint Pala in the post, some of these MLAs had to come to terms.
According to political observers, the open act of discontent by Dr. Sangma and his MLAs from Garo Hills may lead to further political complications for the Congress in the State especially in Garo Hills.
“Dr. Sangma has a good political hold in Garo Hills. If he decides to shake the boat it could prove to be costly for the Congress in 2023,” a political observer said today.
Another political observer said that a split in the Congress is a possibility ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.
“If the Congress high command does not step in, there is a possibility that Dr. Sangma and his camp may desert Congress and float their own party or join any other party. That would be disastrous for the Congress as it may lose the numbers it needed most to unseat the NPP and its allies from the government,” he said.
Several Congress party workers said that unity is most important for the party to come back to power in 2023.
They also said that it all depended on Pala and how he moved to soothe Dr. Sangma and bring him on board as far as decisions on party matters are concerned.
