Cong ‘lost touch with people of Meghalaya’: Ex Minister Ampareen quits party, to join NPP today

West Shillong MLA Mohendro Rapsang too has resigned and is joining NPP this afternoon.

Congress leader and former Meghalaya minister Ampareen Lyngdoh and West Shillong MLA Mohendro Rapsang have quit the Congress party. Rapsang and Lyngdoh were suspended from the party. Both the leaders are joining the National People’s Party (NPP) led by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma this afternoon.

The resignations come ahead of the Meghalaya Assembly polls early next year.

Speaking to Northeast Live just a while back, Lyngdoh said, “Finally I am out and I am joining NPP. I and Mohendro Rapsang are at the Assembly now to resign from our MLA positions. Soon after this we both will leave for the Fire Brigade Ground and join the NPP there”.

This development is being seen by any as the final nail in Congress’s coffin in Meghalaya.

In her resignation letter, Lyngdoh thanked the party for giving her all the opportunity and even appointing her as the Secretary of the All India Congress Committee. But she also said, “the party has lost touch with the people of Meghalaya…the party has led me to believe that it has lost its sense of direction.”

She went on to say, “There has been a pressing need for the party and its leadership to reflect on this. Sincere and honest attempts to lead such self-introspection, I believe, has failed”.

57-year-old Lyngdoh has been MLA from the East Shillong constituency since 2013.

Last month, three incumbent MLAs in Meghalaya – two from the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) and one from the opposition All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) – had resigned to join the BJP. The NPP’s Benedict Marak (Raksamgre) and Fairlene Sangma (Selsella), and Trinamool Congress legislator Himalaya Muktan Shangpliang (Mawsynram) had quit their parties.

Earlier in February this year, five Congress MLAs – Cong Legislature Party leader Ampareen Lyngdoh, and MLAs PT Sawkmie, Mayralborn Syiem, KS Marbaniang and Mohendro Rapsang had joined the MDA – Meghalaya Democratic Alliance backed by BJP.

Prior to that in 2021, 12 Congress MLAs including former Meghalaya CM and senior party leader Mukul Sangma had left the party to join Trinamool Congress (TMC).

The Congress had won 21 seats and NPP 19 in the 2018 Assembly polls. BJP had won 2 but BJP out-smarted Congress to form the government in Meghalaya joining hands with NPP.

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