Meghalaya Congress leader Ampareen Lyngdoh put on a brave face after its application for the disqualification of 12 of its former members who defected to the Trinamool Congress was rejected today by the Speaker of the Assembly, Metbah Lyngdoh.
“My personal view is simple: the Speaker has decided and I respect his order,” Ampareen, the Congress Legislative Party leader who filed the disqualification applications, said.
“I will not pursue this petition because our campaign (for the 2023 state elections) will take priority in 2022. The party, however, may have a different view on the matter. On this our president (Vincent Pala) will decide and we await his decision on the matter.”
Ampareen defended the Congress’ move to push for disqualification of the TMC 12 “to object to the manner in which the exodus took place”.
Left with just five MLAs in the 60-member Assembly, the Congress will now strive to rebuild its strength, which took a battering with a slew of resignations at all levels of the party following the defections, in the state and pursuing the disqualification would be “an unnecessary diversion”.
“We still have our election platforms to continue discussion on this betrayal and, at the end of the day, the public will decide and present their verdict in the election results,” Ampareen said.
