Lapang’s name proposed for gubernatorial post

SHILLONG - The Congress in Meghalaya has proposed the name of former chief minister D.D. Lapang, a party stalwart, for a gubernatorial post to avoid a political row in its legislature party, a Congress source said Sunday.

According to sources, Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Lyngdoh Friday proposed Lapang’s name to party supremo Sonia Gandhi to consider a gubernatorial appointment for him.

The proposal is significant in the wake of the growing dissidence against Chief Minister Mukul Sangma among party legislators.

Lapang, who was dethroned April 20, 2010, has been projected by 22 party legislators as the new Congress legislature party leader replacing Mukul Sangma, party sources said.

“The chief minister and some AICC leaders are now trying to convince madam (Sonia Gandhi) to assign Lapang a gubernatorial post so that he does not interfere in state politics. They even made a claim that Lapang was not averse to accepting such a post,” a senior Congress minister in the Sangma cabinet, told IANS on condition of anonymity.

“We will not allow Lapang away from state politics, but would demand from the AICC that he takes over as the new CLP leader,” the minister said.

The party, the rebel Congress legislators say, is very much “in need of Lapang and people of the state would not allow Sangma continuing to run the government in his present non-transparent manner”.

Lapang or the state Congress committee could not be contacted for comment.

Meanwhile, irked at the statement of AICC general secretary in charge of Meghalaya Luizinho Faleiro that there is no luxury for dissenting in the CLP, Congress legislators have decided to intensify their campaign not only for Sangma’s ouster but of Faleiro as well for his “biased and undemocratic” ways in hearing their pleas.

“There’s no question of change and there’s no dissidence in the party. Everyone must perform or perish,” Faleiro had told journalists after the CLP meeting Jan 20.

Faleiro described the reports of discontent within the CLP as “canard”.

However, another party leader said: “We will present our case to the AICC president that Faleiro should be replaced as we have lost our confidence in him.”