The first major fallout of the Congress Party’s decision to back the National People’s Party in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council has seen the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) secretary, A Goldenstar Nonglong submit his resignation today.
“I have come to the conclusion that the decision of the leaders of our party no longer align with my ideologies, beliefs and aspirations,” Nonglong said in a letter to the MPCC president.
He therefore “with great sadness and deep pain in my heart” tendered his resignation with immediate effect from the primary membership of the party, his position as MPCC secretary and other party portfolios.
Like many other observers, he found it hard to swallow that the Congress could support the NPP in the KHADC yet continue to remain in opposition in the Assembly.
“At present, the party’s six MDCs support the NPP in the KHADC but the party’s five MLAs are in opposition and against the NPP in the Assembly,” Nonglong said. “Out of the six MDCs, three of them are also MLAs at the same time. How can anyone oppose and agree at the same time? This is totally unacceptable.”
Nonglong, who had contested unsuccessfully for the Rambrai Jyrngam seat in this year’s Assembly election, had made his opposition to the move to support the NPP in the district council clear at an MPCC meeting but the party went ahead anyway.
“This was a shock to me as it went against our party’s beliefs and aspirations, which I cannot fathom at all,” he said while referring to the suspension of five MLAs in 2022 who decided to support the NPP-led state government. “We cannot make the rules and break the same rules ourselves. This is against the norms and ethics of the party.”
