SHILLONG, OCT 26: Extending full support to Congress chief Vincent H Pala ahead of the Shillong Lok Sabha bypoll, former NPP state president and former Rajya Sabha MP Dr WR Kharlukhi on Monday said he decided to back Congress for opposing the Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment Bill, 2026.
“There has been a lot of speculation after I resigned from NPP that people are asking me what’s next. In today’s press conference I would like to announce what’s next,” Kharlukhi said.
“What next means, I have decided to support Congress and its candidate Vincent H Pala in this coming by-election for the Shillong parliamentary seat,” he announced.
Explaining the reason, he said, “Another question is why. The Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment Bill 2026, I am very much against FCRA amendment in its present form because what I have seen in that, for 79 years of independence, I feel threatened because of this Bill. Section 16-A of the amendment Bill is very disturbing and it cannot be accepted.”
“Had it not been for Congress to oppose the FCRA amendment bill in the last Parliament session, today this Bill would have become an Act and I don’t know what would have happened to the Christian minority,” Kharlukhi said.
He added, “Another thing is that Congress is very firm on its stand against the FCRA amendment Bill 2026, in which Congress demands that this be totally withdrawn.”
“On the basis of this, I decided to support Congress and its candidate from Shillong parliamentary seat Vincent H Pala because I realized that if we want to protect ourselves, we have to strengthen Congress there,” he said.
“If people really realize what is the situation we are facing, and if Pala is there, there will be 98, there will be 99, another person who will be there to fight against this Bill. So this is the decision I have taken,” Kharlukhi said.
On why he never revealed reasons for quitting NPP, he said, “One thing, when I leave a party, I never blame anybody because to me a person who leaves his party and blames somebody, they are stupid. So I don’t want to be seen as a stupid person.”
Asked whether he is joining Congress, he said, “Well, time will tell. When we reach the bridge, we will cross the bridge. You just wait because I am always patient.”
On whether NPP has deviated from the founders’ vision, Kharlukhi said, “I told you, I am telling again, I never blame anyone or anybody because this is not the first party that I left.”
“One thing, I always leave my party when they are in power, but I never betray my party when they are out of power, that is one thing with me. I was with UDP right from HPU, we lost in 1988, we lost in all seven seats of Jaintia Hills, but when HPU merged, with fraction of HPU we formed UDP in 1998, we won 7 out of 7. Within a year I left the party, though they were in power,” he recalled.
On being sidelined in NPP, he said, “No, I was never sidelined and the thing is that I have told you earlier that I never put the blame on anyone, anybody. It is on my own feeling that I left as president of the party because I have been president right from NCP for 17 years. So I thought that it is time that I should give to someone else.”
Clarifying that FCRA was not the sole reason for leaving NPP, he said, “No, I did not leave NPP only for FCRA. I support Bah Pala because of what Congress has done for us minorities by opposing this Bill in Parliament, and that’s why they could not pass this Bill and they have to send it to JPC.”
“In order to strengthen Congress, because this is a national issue, it is not a state issue, it is not a regional issue. So on national issue you have to look which party can really counter BJP in Parliament,” Kharlukhi said.
On Pala’s winnability, he said, “Well, I believe one thing, whenever I take a stand, I take a stand, it is up to the people. If you remember during reservation policy movement, I took a stand against that because I realized that as leaders there are times even if everybody goes against you also, when you realize that this will lead, like in case of the state if the reservation policy is implemented in the state, the state will be divided into two because I have seen movement in Garo Hills and the movement here and if the state is divided into two, what will happen, just mark my word, it will never be a state again, like what was done in Kashmir, we will be Union Territory and you know what happens in Union Territory, land is under the central government, not only that, home police under central government and what will happen to us, the tribal minorities here.”
He added, “And another thing, what is the power of the central government in the union territory, a sitting Chief Minister is put in jail for six years without any bail and that happened to the Chief Minister of Delhi.”
On whether he will help revive Congress like he revived NPP, Kharlukhi said, “Well, I don’t believe under my leadership, I always believe in collective leadership. So putting our heads together, we can do so many things, not me but collective leadership.”
Asked about corruption, dictatorship and dynasty in NPP, he said, “You see, it was not me who raised this, politics is corruption, it is the VPP who raised it in the last election 2024, it is not me.”
He added, “Sending 1-2 MPs to Parliament is of no value. I have raised Eighth Schedule, it came out in the press, no result. I have raised a question on ILP, no result, I raised issue on coal mining, I raised issue on the Look South Policy, no result. This is a problem with a party having one MP in Parliament, Lok Sabha has 543 MPs.”
On contesting 2028 Assembly polls, he said, “Let me see when 2028 comes.”
On UDP’s decline, he said, “Well, I don’t comment on people’s different party.”
By Our Reporter
