Despite its recent setback with the loss of 12 MLAs who have merged with the Trinamool Congress, the Congress party in Meghalaya has decided to reboot itself ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.
A meeting of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) held here yesterday has constituted the campaign committee, manifesto committee and coordination committee to prepare for the 2023 polls. A farmer cell was also formed during the meeting.
MPCC president Vincent Pala informed that the names of members of these three committees will be forwarded to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) for its approval.
“Hopefully by the end of the month, all these committees will be approved and maybe by February we can have the general meeting of the executive members of the committee,” Pala said.
Pala said that the coordination committee would coordinate between the AICC and MPCC on who should be the star campaigners for the 2023 elections.
Meanwhile, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Ampareen Lyngdoh said that the manifesto committee would be working full time. She urged the people of the State to come forward and suggest the issues that they want the Congress party to focus on in the manifesto.
“We have requested our MLAs and MDCs to give their thoughts on the important issues that are relevant in their area so that we can consolidate on all of this information and come up with a very strong straightforward manifesto which will be a huge strength of the party,” Lyngdoh said.
As far as selection of candidates is concerned, Lyngdoh said that the Congress would go for candidates who also have “strong Congress blood running in their system”.
“We are looking at candidates who are qualified candidates, candidates who are committed and candidates who also have strong Congress blood running in their system.”
It may be mentioned that Congress has been reduced to just five MLAs in the 60-member House after twelve party MLAs led by former chief minister Dr. Mukul Sangma merged themselves with the Trinamool Congress.
The merger has been declared valid by Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh.
With Trinamool Congress becoming the principal opposition party in the State Assembly, Dr. Sangma has been officially appointed as the leader of opposition, the post he held when he was earlier with the Congress.
