Congress Party MLA from Mylliem and leader of the opposition, Ronnie V Lyngdohm, today said that the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee is readying itself for the Lok Sabha polls by naming candidates for both the Shillong and Tura parliamentary seats.
“But if tomorrow any direction comes from the All India Congress Committee (AICC), we will abide by it. But as of now we have not got anything on seat sharing. Therefore we have to declare our own candidates and later if there are any directions to work together with other parties we will look into it,” Lyngdoh said.
It may be mentioned that the TMC is keen on contesting one of the two Lok Sabha seats in Meghalaya, most likely the Tura seat. Both the Congress and TMC are part of the INDIA opposition alliance, which appears to be struggling to assign seats to keep all members happy.
Tura constituency is currently being held by Agatha K Sangma of the National People’s Party (NPP).
Earlier this week, the screening committee constituted by the AICC cleared the name of sitting Shillong MP Vincent H Pala and three-time Gambegre legislator Saleng A Sangma for Tura.
Lyngdoh also said that the main agenda of the Congress for the upcoming polls is to fight for the rights of the people.
“We understand with the present dispensation in Delhi now the media is not free, we cannot give a dissenting voice against the government and if we criticise the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation), ED (Enforcement Directorate) and other central agencies will harass you,” he said, adding that democracy, the right to worship freely and the cultures and traditions of minorities are in danger.
Lyngdoh also decried the arrest of opposition leaders before the election, the latest being Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who resigned and was then arrested on a corruption charge that he has described as political.
