Despite open defiance of the party, the Congress has left the door open for the five suspended MLAs – Ampareen Lyngdoh, Process Sawkmie, Mohendro Rapsang, Kimfa Marbaniang and Mayralborn Syiem – to return to the fold.
Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee working president Pynshngain Syiem said today that there would be no difficulty in removing the five’s suspension if they withdraw their support to the state government.
“It will entirely lie with the five suspended Congress MLAs. If they want to return to the Congress they have to withdraw their support to the MDA (Meghalaya Democratic Alliance) and their suspension can be withdrawn,” Syiem told reporters.
That seems, however, unlikely as there are strong indications that the five will plump for different political parties – Lyngdoh, Rapsang and Marbaniang for the National People’s Party and Sawkmie and Syiem for the United Democratic Party.
If their suspension is lifted then they can contest on a Congress ticket in the 2023 state elections, Syiem added.
He also pointed to the fate of the 12 Congress legislators who, last year, defected to the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The TMC is facing a crisis of confidence even early into its existence, with several of the dozen MLAs thought to be weighing their options for party tickets.
“You have heard that these turncoats are now trying to join other political parties like the UDP, etc and are regretting the hasty steps they have taken to leave the Congress,” Syiem stated.
The Congress was not always strong in Meghalaya, having had to build up its base over several years and win the confidence of the people, so it is laughable that the TMC can suddenly make an impact just a few months after the formation of its state unit, he added.
Despite this, none of the 12 have so far approached the Congress for a comeback. However, there are a few MLAs from other parties who are feeling unsure of the return to power of the parties within the MDA coalition and some of these have expressed an eagerness to run under the Congress banner next year, he added.
