More than two months after losing 12 MLAs, the Congress in Meghalaya has joined the National People’s Party-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government. The Bharatiya Janata Party is a minor constituent of the alliance.
The five remaining Congress MLAs on Tuesday met Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and submitted a letter for formally joining the coalition government. The Chief Minister welcomed the MLAs into the alliance in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong.
“We wish to support you and the MDA to strengthen the government’s arms and decision-making, so as to ensure that our joined efforts will take the State forward, in the general interest of its citizens,” read the letter signed by the five MLAs, underlining their decision to join the government from February 8.
The five MLAs are M. Ampareen Lyngdoh, P.T. Sawkmie, Mayralborn Syiem, Kimfa S. Marbaniang and Mohendro Rapsang.
Ms Lyngdoh, the leader of the Congress Legislature Party, defended the move. “In this day and age, you can only save yourselves. The five of us are protecting each other,” she said.
She also deflected questions on Congress becoming an ally of the BJP by virtue of joining the alliance.
“You can interpret everything the way you want to. Who is straight in politics in this generation? If everybody is straight, we shall also be straight. If everybody is crooked, what can you do?” she said.
Ms Lyngdoh had earlier said she would complete her term in Congress before taking any decisions. “I will take a call at the appropriate time,” she added.
Along with Nagaland and Tripura, Assembly elections in Meghalaya are due by February 2023.
The Congress had won 21 constituencies in the 2018 Assembly elections in Meghalaya but its seat count went down to 17, of whom 12 joined the Trinamool Congress in November 2021.
Reacting to the development, a spokesperson of the Meghalaya unit of TMC said: “The unscrupulous and power-hungry people have officially joined hands. This alliance between Congress and NPP-led MDA has once again clearly marked us as the only credible alternative in Meghalaya.”
This is not the first time that Congress and the BJP have come together, directly or indirectly, in the northeast.
In 2015, all the eight Congress MLAs in Nagaland had supported the Naga People’s Front-led alliance government in the State. Suspended by party’s high command, these MLAs later merged with the NPF.
In 2018, Congress and the BJP forged an alliance to rule the Chakma Autonomous District Council in Mizoram. Their alliance was short-lived.
