Veteran UDP leader blames UDP president for ‘worst crisis’ in party
Shillong, Oct 26: Bindo M Lanong, one of the founders of the United Democratic Party (UDP), has squarely blamed the incumbent president Metbah Lyngdoh for the “worst crisis” in the party’s history, alleging that the latter “runs the party like his business”.
“The party has never faced a crisis of this kind… It has never faced such a crisis since 1997… all because of the poor leadership,” the former Deputy Chief Minister told reporters when asked his views on 11 of 12 UDP MLAs deserting the regional party – 8 to BJP and 3 to NPP – in less than two months.
The UDP, one of Meghalaya’s oldest regional parties, is now left with a single MLA after the largest defection in its history.
Seeking to blame Metbah for according priority to his business rather than the party, Lanong said, “I think he is giving preference to his own business… that is the reason how and why the party has come to this stage.”
“Being in business as a full timer and being in politics as president of the party, is not easy… I never expected him to be like this,” he added.
Asked about the leadership of former UDP president and former chief minister Dr Donkupar Roy, Lanong praised the late leader and called for dynamic and righteous leadership to run the party.
Putting himself in Metbah’s position, Lanong said he would have already tendered his resignation to the Chief Minister.
“I will withdraw myself, I will leave the cabinet…,” he said.
To a query on UDP’s fate, the veteran leader significantly said, “No party lasts forever… Meghalaya is not an exception.”
“UDP is buried under the leadership of Metbah Lyngdoh,” he added.
‘UDP still in my blood’
Expressing his commitment to the party, the UDP founding leader said he has not joined any other party despite being denied a ticket in 2023 and that the party’s ideology still runs in his blood.
“I joined politics in 1972; became the first MDC in 1972. Since then I have never defected anywhere,” he said mentioning that the party changed from APHLC to HPU, from HPU to UDP…
“But I have not changed,” he asserted.
Recalling the denial of a party ticket to him to contest from Nongkrem in 2023, he said the party took the decision despite there was no other UDP leader vying for the ticket.
“In 2023, I went to contest from Nongkrem. There was no UDP candidate then… I was not given a ticket,” he recalled saying a non-UDP leader “my friend Lambor Malngiang” was chosen by the party to contest from Nongkrem.
“After the election was over, he left UDP,” Lanong said.
“I was denied ticket, I contested as Independent but I did not join any other party then, and now,” he said.
Asserting his loyalty to the regional party, he said, “In my heart, I still have the UDP in me, in full. Nobody can take it away from me.”
