Meghalaya: Cong Leader Ronnie V Lyngdoh Resigns As Leader Of Opposition in Assembly, Who Will be the Next LoP?

Lone Congress MLA Ronnie V Lyngdoh has resigned from the post of Leader of Opposition in the 60-member Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

This comes after the Meghalaya Congress’ strength reduced to just 1 in the Assembly, after the defection of 3 of its MLAs–Gabriel Wahlang, Charles Marngar and Celestine Lyngdoh to the Conrad Sangma-led ruling National People’s Party (NPP).

Earlier on Friday, Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma had said that he would be compelled to de-notify Ronnie V Lyngdoh as the LoP if the latter does not voluntarily step down and resign from the position.

As per the Assembly rules, a party must have a minimum of 10 per cent of the total seats in the House for its leader to get elected as the LoP. In the 59-member Meghalaya Assembly (Meghalaya Assembly is a 60-member House. Gambegre seat fell vacant after Saleng Sangma won the Lok Sabha Polls from Tura), the party has to have 6 seats but none of the opposition parties – neither Congress nor TMC or the VPP has this number. Congress now has just one legislator, TMC has five and VPP has 4.

Ronnie V Lyngdoh’s resignation has led to growing speculation about who will assume charge as the next Leader of the Opposition.

As the suspense grows, the Voice of People’s Party (VPP) is mulling staking claim for the position of the Leader of Opposition.

Speaking to North East Live, VPP President Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said that the party will soon convene a meeting to take a call on the matter.

“Decision of the Speaker to appoint Ronnie only encourages us to consider may be claiming the post of LoP, but as a party, we will sit and decide because we feel that a convention, a traditional Parliamentary practices also need to be followed,” said Basaiawmoit.

He however said that with only 4 MLAs, the VPP would require the support of either the TMC or Congress.

“If there is a way where we can stake claim, maybe we will do it, but it all depends because we have only 4 MLAs, we need support of either TMC or Baroni for that matter, so that we can claim,” he added.

Also Read: One Should’t Underestimate Congress, It May Bounce Back: Meghalaya TMC President Charles Pyngrope