With two months left for the Assembly elections in the State, the Congress which is no longer a major political player is trying to devise ways and means to revive itself.
State Congress president Vincent H. Pala a few days ago met senior party leaders in New Delhi to chalk out plans for the upcoming polls.
Accompanied by former MPCC president Dr. Celestine Lyngdoh and general secretary Sanjay Das, Pala met AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik and also Congress in-charge for Meghalaya – Manish Chatrath.
Pala is likely to contest from Sutnga-Saipung constituency in East Jaintia Hills.
However, the Congress under Pala’s leadership has not shown itself as a formidable political party to make a strong political presence in the upcoming polls.
Although Pala recently said that the party is ready with its list of candidates for the 2023 polls, sources said that the party is finding it hard to find good candidates in many constituencies including those in Shillong city.
The Congress, which had bagged 21 in the 2018 polls, is now faced with immense challenges and has no legislator in the Assembly.
Pala was made State Congress president in August 2021. However, shortly after his elevation, twelve party MLAs led by former Chief Minister Dr. Mukul Sangma left the party and joined the Trinamool Congress.
Five other remaining MLAs unofficially left the party by extending support to the MDA government. They are also likely to contest the 2023 polls as candidates of NPP and UDP.
The Congress is also facing difficulty in creating a wave for itself in Garo Hills where it had a strong base in the past.
The Trinamool Congress under the leadership of Dr. Mukul Sangma remains a strong force in the Garo Hills to counter the ruling NPP. Even BJP has also made its presence felt in the region.
Pala, who won the Shillong Lok Sabha seat consecutively three times in 2009, 2014 and 2019, is looking at ways to revive the grand old party in Meghalaya.
Political observers opined that Pala lacks the charisma and appeal as a political leader besides having little influence even in his home base of Jaintia Hills.
Financially too, the Congress party in the State is in a tight spot. Even Pala himself has admitted that the party is financially not in a good position.
It remains to be seen as to how the Congress leadership deals with the Meghalaya challenge in a short time before the State goes to polls in February 2023.
