Shillong, Sept 20: Meghalaya Congress chief Vincent Pala on Friday claimed that many including former MLAs and former ministers will soon return to the party.
“Many MLAs left the party, but they are now willing to come back,” Pala said.
Ridiculing those who blamed him for their decision to leave the Congress, Pala said, “12 MLAs had left Congress and joined the Trinamool … tell me how many of them remained with the TMC? When they left Congress, they said it is because of me, and when they left TMC to join other parties, they did not say anything. Why?”
“One of the MLAs joined three parties in a year, so whom should they blame?” Pala asked.
He said that those who left Congress was primarily because Congress is in opposition, which did not serve their personal interest. “We are here to work for the interest of the people,” he added.
Terming that politicians are carried away as parties in power offer jobs, development and roads, he said, “If we lose our ideology, ethics, we lose everything in politics. Today, they are with TMC, tomorrow they will be with the UDP, day after they will be with the BJP… what they will have with them. Nothing left with them.”
Pala informed that the party will hold a meeting in South West Khasi Hills on October 11-12, where some of the leaders will join back.
“It is not proper for me to tell in advance because they are yet to join.”
On the notion that Pala is the ‘most’ unpopular MPCC president, he said, “I cannot judge myself but I can tell you I don’t surrender. In Arunachal, when they lost the elections, they resigned and the party totally collapsed but I didn’t surrender. Whether people leave or not, whether I lost, I have not surrendered. I work for the party.”
Congress upbeat for council polls
AICC joint secretary in-charge Meghalaya Adv. Matthew Anthony expressed confidence that the Congress will do exceptionally well in the upcoming elections to the three autonomous district councils (ADCs), which are likely to be held next year.
“New faces in party will ensure resurgence of the Congress,” Anthony said.
“In all our decisions, we are keeping the interest of our people first. We are not running away from internal discussions. We will perform extremely and exceptionally well in the MDC elections,” he added.
