Congress President Forms 3 Essential Committees for Meghalaya Chapter
Click to start listening
Shillong, Jan 9 (NationPress) Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has established the Political Affairs Committee, the Election Committee, and the Campaign Committee for Meghalaya to reinforce the party’s organization in the northeastern hill region.
According to Congress sources, the establishment of these three committees is a standard procedure aimed at revitalizing the party’s structure following its loss in consecutive assembly elections.
Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal stated in a press release that the 13-member Pradesh Election Committee will be led by state Congress President Vincent H. Pala, while Saleng Sangama, a Lok Sabha member from the Tura Parliamentary constituency, will head the 9-member Campaign Committee.
The 12-member Political Affairs Committee will be chaired by AICC in-charge for Meghalaya, Dr. A Chellakumar.
In the 2023 Assembly polls, Congress managed to win only five seats in the 60-member Meghalaya assembly.
In a further blow, three of the five MLAs shifted allegiance to the ruling National People’s Party (NPP), led by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma. Meanwhile, legislator Saleng Sangma was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Tura Parliamentary constituency, leaving the party with just one member in the Assembly.
Last August, the Trinamool Congress was designated as the opposition party in the Meghalaya Assembly, with party leader and former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma appointed as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP).
The Trinamool, which holds five seats in the 60-member Assembly, previously requested Assembly Speaker Thomas A. Sangma to allocate the LoP position to the party, claiming support from the lone Congress legislator Ronnie V. Lyngdoh.
Under the leadership of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, with backing from the Congress MLA, the party met the minimum 10 percent requirement for the LoP position.
As Congress MLAs Celestine Lyngdoh, Charles Marngar, and Gabriel Wahlang defected to the NPP in the presence of the Meghalaya Chief Minister, state Congress chief Pala accused the ruling party of engaging in financial transactions to secure the three MLAs' defection.
