Despite the Meghalaya unit of the Congress Party apparently in turmoil, with defections and resignations galore, Nongpoh MLA Mayralborn Syiem is planning on remaining loyal to the party that put him where he is today.
Syiem is now one of only five Congress legislators left in the Meghalaya Assembly after 12 defected to the Trinamool Congress late last month. Since then, there have been numerous resignations across all ranks within the state unit of the once-dominant party.
“I am what I am today due to the Indian National Congress,” Syiem, who joined the Youth Congress in 1998, said. “I am what I am today due to the ideology of the Congress. It (his loyalty) is also due to the service that the party has given, not only to our state but the nation as a whole, and that is why I feel that I should stick to this party, which has really served the people of Meghalaya and the country.”
The first-time legislator has also been approached by the TMC and other parties, which is their right, he said. However, they have not been able to sway his resolve.
“I will be with the Congress and won’t go anywhere. Leaders come and go but the party remains and so does the ideology. There will be ups and downs. That has been the case in the past but we bounced back, so one shouldn’t be surprised with the rise or fall of any political party in India,” Syiem opined.
