By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, AUG 4: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today claimed the he would reverse the “whole process” of the anti-Congress forces, which are trying their best to oust out the ruling Congress from the seat of power in the upcoming Assembly elections, slated to be held next year.
“My job is to reverse the whole process of my anti-Congress forces. This is what we have been doing and we are acclimatize to this kind of challenges and we know our job,” Sangma told newsmen at the sidelines of the swearing in ceremony of two newly inducted cabinet ministers – Celestine Lyngdoh and Comingone Ymbon – here on Friday.
The chief minister was reacting to a query that the situation in the upcoming elections will be different from the last 2013 elections in which the Congress managed to come out as the single largest party (30 MLAs).
He agreed that the anti-Congress forces like the BJP, which is strong at the centre, and its ally the National People’s Party (NPP) which is heading to stage a come back next year, are taking advantage of the situation and the Congress is adopting strategies to address this.
Asked whether there will be more trouble for the Congress especially by dropping two senior Congress legislators – Prestone Tynsong and Sniawbhalang Dhar, who were alleged to have plan of leaving the party – from the cabinet as BJP and NPP may take advantage of the situation, he said, “Is it new (of such attempt by anti-Congress parties). You see from 2013 onwards you will obviously revisit the past as we approach the elections.”
Whether the cabinet reshuffling is one of the steps to reverse such activities by anti-Congress forces, he said, “Its not just one step as there are lots of other comprehensive measures.”
“What is the responsibility of the chief minister, chief minister’s responsibility is to also identify leaders whoever are available and also create space for them and have opportunity to enable us to realize their potentiality in serving the people, that is one part and another part is to also actually create a perception among the electorate its not the same old thing that the same old approach in a casual manner, we are serious that is why we are creating this whole dispensation which is expected as more cohesive and every time we do we do it with the expectation of doing better.”
Moreover, the chief minister categorically denied that Tynsong and Dhar were dropped from the ministry because of their “anti-party stance”.
“I have made it abundantly clear that this (reshuffling) has got nothing to do (with such allegations) and I am saying in fact that I should have been able to exercise my mind in this direction even earlier also. But sometimes as we focus on work sometimes we don’t realize how time flies,” he said.
Earlier, reports suggested that Tynsong, along with Dhar, would leave the Congress and likely to join the National People’s Party led by Lok Sabha MP from Tura, Conrad K. Sangma.
While Tynsong has been viewed as a “troublemaker” in the party, Dhar faced a complaint from the Jowai block Congress committee, accusing him of working against senior Congress leader and deputy chief minister Roytre C. Laloo.
The block Congress had demanded removal of Dhar from the cabinet alleging him of indulging in anti-party activities for he projected his own brother-in-law, Wailad Shylla to contest against Laloo from Jowai Constituency.
Reacting to a query that complaints have gone against the two former ministers to the AICC and also to the MPCC, the chief minister however denied and said, “No that is not correct because I have sat with the AICC together with PCC president (Lapang), those issues of anti party activities and other things did not and was not part of the discussion.”
“What we have discuss was the strategy, way forward and how to ensure we have a an effective team (ahead of elections),” Sangma added.
He said a team which one part is the government and the other is the organization, so how both can have integration and cohesion in spite of developmental initiatives we do and visibility we create, connect it with the people and at the end of the day when we approach and again go back to the people we are in a stronger wicket.
Asked on what will be the role of Tynsong and Dhar in the party, Sangma said that party we will decide but one thing is that they have to reinforce in their respective constituencies and contribute for the party’s further strengthening in other constituencies.
Responding to another query whether removing these two is like removing thorns from the flesh of his cabinet, Sangma (laugh) and said, “You see, I will not be able to response on people’s narrative based on presumption and assumption, I have said such action will always generate this kind of narratives but I will not comment on that.”
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